[DKelly]

Originally Posted by ApparentlyNothing

So, I just saw this.

Ummm, wow. I don't fully grasp what happened, but I sure liked it. I'm gonna need another viewing.



*****SPOILER*****


So, Ellen. Was PSH playing her the whole end? I seemed to notice the real Ellen in bed with a guy named Eric, which reminded me of when PSH's daughter said he was a homosexual with a guy named Eric. But I don't know if I'm just remembering that wrong. Gah, I need to see this again to grasp everything that happened.

Sadly, I think I may have to end up waiting for a DVD releaseon this one. It's not getting releases anywhere around here.

[Skeeter]

Finally saw this. I bought it as a stocking stuffer for Rachael and we watched it last night. Mindblowing film. It entirely defies rational explanation and instead feels very existentialist, very much like Sartre. Indeed, Sartre's philosophy of the "Other" seems to be essential to an understanding of this movie.

I agree with the earlier point in this thread of the spiritual connection between this movie and "Adaptation." Clearly, this is the kind of movie Charlie Kaufman was talking about in "Adapatation." when he said that he wanted to make a movie where nothing much happens, where characters don't come to any profound realization or change, "more like real life." In Synecdoche, things happen and characters change, but it's constantly ongoing. There's no conclusion or profound insight into Caden's character. He's constantly saying throughout his life, "I know how to do the play now," like he's come to a profound realization about the play and his own life, but the play and his life just continue on and it's never finished.

I definitely need to watch this movie again, at least once more this week while it's still fresh. Interestingly enough, there's no commentary track. I'm guessing Kaufman didn't want to talk about the movie but wanted people to discover it for themselves.

[ApparentlyNothing]

Originally Posted by Skeeter

Finally saw this. I bought it as a stocking stuffer for Rachael and we watched it last night. Mindblowing film. It entirely defies rational explanation and instead feels very existentialist, very much like Sartre. Indeed, Sartre's philosophy of the "Other" seems to be essential to an understanding of this movie.

I agree with the earlier point in this thread of the spiritual connection between this movie and "Adaptation." Clearly, this is the kind of movie Charlie Kaufman was talking about in "Adapatation." when he said that he wanted to make a movie where nothing much happens, where characters don't come to any profound realization or change, "more like real life." In Synecdoche, things happen and characters change, but it's constantly ongoing. There's no conclusion or profound insight into Caden's character. He's constantly saying throughout his life, "I know how to do the play now," like he's come to a profound realization about the play and his own life, but the play and his life just continue on and it's never finished.

I definitely need to watch this movie again, at least once more this week while it's still fresh. Interestingly enough, there's no commentary track. I'm guessing Kaufman didn't want to talk about the movie but wanted people to discover it for themselves.

Awesome insight. I didn't really catch that but it makes sense.

[Pre-Ex-Girlfriend]

I find myself thinking about this movie unexpectedly. This morning I woke up before the alarm and my mind just automatically drifted to thinking about death and how the movie seems to link relationships and death. Of course, it made more sense while I was half asleep, but my point is that I'm still thinking about it. It's the kind of movie that makes you do that. I like it.

[bowstaff981]

I just watched this the other day. Roger Ebert said it was the greatest film of the last decade and I can totally understand that. It wasn't my favorite film of the decade, but it seems like Kaufman put so much work into. I felt like every choice was deliberate. The movie also made me very sad, but it's hard to put into words what exactly made me feel sad. I guess the film just really made me feel the immense weight of life. But then I saw Despicable Me so that feeling didn't last long.