Movie Review: Synecdoche, New York

Movie: Synecdoche, New York

By Michael de Percy   

12 May 2009: Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, 1999; Adaptation, 2002) is a bit of a nutter but Synecdoche takes the cake. I loved Being John Malkovich and after watching Synecdoche, I decided to watch Adaptation (I've been a fan of Nick Cage since Raising Arizona). I was worried that Kaufman was repeating the same freaky ideas too much, but I must say that Synecdoche was a total spin out.

I used to take issue with my English teachers at high school who would test you on your ability to understand the 'meaning' behind literary works and so on, because I believe any 'art' form and its meaning belongs in the eyes of the beholder. Telling me what I should think about the 'theme' of any creative works seems to take away from the artist's work. Indeed, telling me the correct way to interpret these works is an exercise in restricting art's ability to 'tell the truth through lies'.

I am a big fan of anything which is free. Being a community radio presenter with 2XX occasionally provides free movie tickets and Synecdoche was one of these rare opportunities to avoid the 'user pays' system. The movie made me think of my PhD research and how one's mind bends through refractions of reality. Kaufman explores these issues by presenting a unique situation: someone who suddenly receives an endless grant to explore their ideas.

As the plot developed, I couldnt help thinking about the 39 Steps (my last review) and the interaction with the props. The first time Kaufman introduces the twist on reality (the perpetually burning house) I was a bit shocked and wondering if it was a mistake. It seems to be a common twist to provide the audience with a sense of reality which twists its way into craziness incrementally. This has the effect of comforting the viewer into Kaufman's instability. Anyone who has attempted to develop new knowledge will know how real this process can be.

The movie gave me a sense of the research process. You develop ideas, put these out into the public sphere, and then wonder if you have any idea what you are talking about. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays the lead role and he is completely believable as he goes through phases of reality which will have your typical PhD candidate thinking 'Oh my God, I thought it was just me'. Looking at your research work becomes a lot like Hoffman looking at himself through others looking at himself through others as he selects characters to play him and then others to play him playing him in a large theatrical production which makes Ben Hur (1959) look like Waiting for Godot (1953).

I didn't want to spoil the plot for those who haven't seen the movie. Things arrive in Australia years after they should, but that doesn't give me licence to tell you the footy scores before you have seen the game. Nonetheless, Synecdoche (which means 'substituting a part for the whole') provides an artist's interpretation of daily life in New York (the suburb 'Schenectady') in a way which will either blow your mind or leave you thinking that reality is for people who can't handle drugs.