Charlie Kaufman has been responsible for writing some of the weirdest and yet most wonderful American films of the decade (Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind) so it's no surprise that his confident directorial debut pushes boundaries and examines the nooks and crannies of life that Hollywood usually ignores. This is personal stuff shown on an epic scale which is likely to mean different things to different people.
In an opening that serves as a portent of what is to come we find Philip Seymour Hoffman's character Caden just about getting by. His career as a successful regional theatre director gives him creative freedom but his home life is confused by odd illnesses, a strange old man that permanently follows him around, weird flashes of himself on TV and a wife (Kaufman favourite and indie queen Catherine Keener) who barely gives him any respect. Sounds bizarre? This is all in the first ten minutes.
When his wife decides to take her daughter and move to Germany to further her artistic career Caden grasps the opportunity to begin a relationship with the box office girl at his theatre (Samantha Morton). Also encouraging is the unexpected receipt of a 'genius' grant which will give him the financial freedom to follow his own artistic muse.
This then becomes the film's central premise. Caden creates a huge warehouse set for his ultimate theatrical ambition - to create an ongoing representation of his life on stage (and who better to play him than the old man who has been following him around for so long). In doing so he is fulfilling the 'synecdoche' of the title: replacing one thing with another. It's a work in process that takes years, sees the death of many of the principal characters and has the likes of Emily Watson and Dianne Wiest joining the cast.
What it all means is anyone's guess and it's one of the year's most bizarre films. Yet despite a heavy depressive streak running through it it's oddly touching and shows that Kaufman is capable of reaching into areas that most filmmakers are unaware exist.
Paul Hurley
