Review: Synechdcohe, New York
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
.....what....the....fuuuuuuuuuuuuck?
This is one weird movie. It's packed to the gills with imagery and symbolism. I actually liked it quite a lot. I think Charlie Kaufmen does a tremendous job of using his weird plot devices to capture something significant about life*, love**, art***, death****.
Unfortunately, as a consequence, I'm not sure I have much more to say. I mean, the symbolism of the film is fairly transparent. The acting is fine***** (but is really not the point), the highlight of the film is really the background detail: the various clues as to what's going on in the world as we zip forward into the future, the ever increasing detail of the warehouse.
So, lacking anything more profound to say, I want to talk about the poop. One of the things that makes this movie remarkable is that it talks about human feces. This is kind of remarkable, because outside of the sub-sub genre of gross-out comedies, I defy you to find feces discussed in any serious film, and yet it's hard to argue that it's not an important part of the human existence. I mean, every one produces it on a near daily basis. And so, I present this as a microcosm of why Synechdoche is so successful. Synechdoche doesn't shy away from any part of the human existence, no matter how taboo.
Afternote. I am tremendously glad I watched this movie BEFORE I saw this episode of community. Bravo, Mr. Harmon.
* Being John Malkovich
** The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
*** Adaptation (my personal favorite)
**** And, finally Synecdoche. Not that each of these movies are about only one thing, of course...
***** I think I'm just getting tired of Phillip Seymore Hoffman, I mean, he's been in, like, everything. I have to say though, the guy that plays his double was outstanding.
