synecdoche, new york

"Everyone's disappointing once you get to know them." As depressing at it seems, Charlie Kaufman may have never penned a truer line of dialogue than this one from his new film, Synecdoche, New York.

In this vein, the more you get to know Kaufman, the more disillusioned you will become. With the scripts for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Adaptation and Being John Malkovich under his belt, Kaufman may be the most acclaimed and unique screenwriter of the past 15 years. His films have explored subconscious human emotions and the surreal intermingling of the real and imagined. Unfortunately, in Synecdoche, his first directorial effort, his vision may be too broad, or perhaps too bleak. The longer his newest endeavor drags on, the deeper inside his mind the script delves, and the more one clamors for the movie's end.

The story revolves around ambitious and neurotic theater director Caden Cotard (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) as he progresses miserably through life. After winning a MacArthur genius grant, he undertakes a massive theater piece intended to model life in its dull and depressing entirety. Soon thereafter, the distinction between reality and reproduction disappears.

The film, which begins with a singular study of Caden's neuroses, expands to raise thousands of questions that seem to be exploding from Kaufman's mind. The overarching themes are that life leads to death and that everything is ultimately disappointing. For such a talented filmmaker, these broad themes are a letdown, especially as the film is overwhelmed by dozens more of motifs and layers that are never addressed.

The film certainly has tempting moments of beauty. The script is occasionally powerfully evocative, especially when Kaufman's characters are given life by phenomenal actors. Unfortunately, these islands of grace are lost in a sea of disjointedly disheartening ideas.

The film proves Kaufman's point-the more the audience finds out about Caden, the less interested we become.