Synecdoche, New York [1] (USA 2008) 124 min.
Directed by Charlie Kaufman
With Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams, Catherine Keener, Emily Watson, et al.
Today, any movie conceived and directed by self-proclaimed neurotic Charlie Kaufman is a hype magnet. And any movie starring the staggering genius of Philip Seymour Hoffman (have you seen Doubt [2]?) is well worth the price of popcorn. Here, he is the oddly named Caden Cotard, a theatre director who ages from 40-80 in the course of the film: that's supposedly the stretch of a mature adult life, the period where our identity finally settles in for the long haul. Typical of Kaufman's scenarios (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind), the only reality we—or his characters—have is the one we play in our heads, the conversations we have with ourselves, the illusions, delusions, dreams, and denials. If you have trouble understanding what's going on in Synecdoche, New York, then you need to remember that. Look inside. Some critics claim you need to see it twice, at least. Now that's a challenge worth testing. Start now.
Synecdoche, New York plays tonight, January 15, at 7pm as part of the MUN Cinema Series [3] Winter Program. All films are open to the public. MUN Cinema sets up a table near the Empire Cinemas' box office about an hour before the screening where tickets and passes may be purchased. Admission is $10 / $9.