One of the films I’m most curious about in 2008 is Charlie Kaufman’s directorial debut Synecdoche, New York. Kaufman wrote the script — his first to go into production since 2004’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind — with the idea that Spike Jonze would direct. When Jonze took on Where The Wild Things Are, Kaufman stepped in to direct himself.
The film, which premieres at Cannes (where Kaufman will be the only first-timer in competition) is about Caden (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a theatre director who creates a full-size replica of New York within a warehouse in order to stage a play as the same time as his own body begins to fail. Catherine Keener, Michelle Williams, Samantha Morton and Tilda Swinton are all in the cast as well. Above, sourced from Anne Thompson’s blog on Variety, is the most recent image from the film. The only other still, which debuted on IonCinema a while back, is below.
12 comments
looking forward to this one, hopefully it'll have a tighter narrative and be less self-referential than his previous stories. It will be good to see how he fares in his directorial debut without Jonze's visual flair.
Im dying to see this movie.
Kauffman has been exceptionally solid to date and the premise of this one is great.
these are the films that are just so damn pleasant to anticipate. not too many preconceptions …just looking forward to be surprised and dazzled. can't wait to see this one.
DEVIN IS SO FA-… oh, nevermind. Russ is so black!
Looking forward to this as well. Because I'm a film geek and I'm supposed to.
to anyone with high expectations… start tempering them now. i read the script for this a while back and it was AWFUL. incredibly abstruse and self-indulgent… and I love every other Charlie Kaufman movie (even Human Nature). I think pairing his scripts with other directors helps to reign them in. I read an early draft of Being John Malkovich and it was SUPER weird, way weirder than the final movie (which was strange for a Hollywood movie but still fit the basic narrative formula). I'm pretty sure this movie is going to be a massive flop.
This movie's ready to go, but we probably won't get a chance to see it for almost a whole year. And yet fodder like Prom Night are released to thousands of theaters the second post-production is done. I call shenanigans!
Nah, unless this is just a total, abysmal bomb we'll see it this fall.
And, @4: yes, more or less like Steve Martin is in The Jerk.
"How far are you going?" "To the end of this fence."
abstruse? is that a word?
Abstruse is what happens when Abstract and Obtuse get drunk and fuck. Firefox spellcheck seems to like it anyway. PSH is a good choice to try and keep this one together. They'd better pronounce that title clearly and often in the promotional material – so people can ask for ticket without too much embarrassment "two for Signy-Douche please".
I've got a special purpose!!!
Comments are shown as archived from the original site; new comments are closed.