SYNECDOCHE, NY trailer… What the heck did I just see?? by COOP

“Synecdoche, NY” (apparently pronounced “si-nek-duk-ee”)is the directorial debut of Academy Award-winning screenwriter, Charlie Kaufman. This is the guy who assailed us with his genius by writing “Being John Malkovich,” then lapsed into a bunch of overrated independent films like “Adaptation” and “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” While his later efforts showed hints of genius, none of them captured the same sense of weird wonder that made “Malkovich” such a cult hit.

“Synecdoche, NY” might be the film to finally show us the true genius of Kaufman. Before watching the trailer, I had low expectations. Looked like Philip Seymore Hoffman playing another sad sack in a hum-drum character drama. After seeing the trailer I was dumbstruck. I had to watch it a few more times to try and figure out what I had just witnessed.

From what I can gather, this film appears to be a fairy tale about a nobody who wants to do something meaningful before he dies. So he decides to write, direct and produce a play. He buys (or rents) a massive hangar/warehouse, builds a city-sized metropolis inside and casts thousands of actors to play everyday people in the city. The whole thing takes him decades. Wow.

The look reminds me of the sci-fi satire “Brazil” and it definitely has a metaphysical feel to it. I’m guessing this is a whimsically-dark fantasy in the same vein of “Malkovich.” I’d like to see this one as soon as possible. Take a look at the trailer below and tell me what you think. It’s got my “Oscar Sense” tingling…