Synecdoche tackles common Kaufman themes of death, gender, age, identity, family, suicide, relationships, ego and prejudice. When you look at it like that, what else is there to write about us humans?
At one minute feeling starkly uncomfortable, the next leaves you feeling cuddled by the world and at one with anyone, anywhere. This movie is a trip.
There is always a point during a Charlie Kaufman scripted film at which I want to turn off and walk away. I can only compare it to a lyric or a piece of abstract art that makes no sense at first. If you don't walk away from the exhibit, you may realise it is not so alien. It is not trying to transport you into another world but it is your world. It can be what you make of it. It's a lot to take in and who can blame anyone for feeling isolated and frustrated at some point.
In the end I cannot understand it all but I can still enjoy interpreting the unknown/s. Do you bloody follow me?! Just like life, it leaves you feeling pretty much unfulfilled and with so far to go. But who is to say this isn't the way cinema was meant to be? Unfortunately it was this kind of thinking that made me watch The Fountain, twice. Thankfuly Synecdoche is much more rewarding and armchair time well spent.
7 comments:
in ten years from now the Criterion version of The Fountain will be released with an inlet that tells how it wasn't well received by today's audiences or critics.
And then i shall laugh at all of you.
SNY, is my fave film of 2008 hands down.
year before that was Inland Empire. and before that... THE FOUTAIN
kris, i'm with you. mot, you're fire retardant.
and it will join THE ROCK and ARMAGEDDON as the top 3 worst nuggets criterion ever dropped. Fountain looks great I must admit, that's the only point of interest surely. But no! Hugh Jackman as a conquistador! The tree of life, a bald man on a floating island in a bubble! It's basically an extended version of the poisoned apple/ psychedelic masquerade ball seen in Labyrinth (remember). Except it doesn't have Bowie in a codpiece so not nearly as good. Did criterion do Labyrinth or Willow yet? Might as well.
you're fired Tom...
from my heart
I'll do the firing 'round here and it'll start with those who haven't got their Toronto Health certification course done after getting 5 months notice.
The Fountain is garbage and so is the Wrestler. Requiem for a Dream is simply good because Jennifer Connely is beautiful as a drug addict. Troubled beauty is always poetic, especially if coupled with a great soundtrack. The Wrestler is a film about cliches that is tired. Synecdoche is something new. Criterion would love to have it's consumer base snatch up every film it distributes purely because of it's entity as a label. Enough said.
J
so many fools kris, so many fools. the word verification for this post is biles, which is close enough to what comes to the back of my throat when people blather unfounded about beautiful, moving films.
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