Synecdoche New York (2008) 4.1/4

As we entered the theatre, a sign told us there would be scratches throughout the film.  This flaw was much less annoying than others I've experienced.  (Watching "The Fountain" with a misaligned projector always comes to mind.)  Including us, there were only a dozen people in the theatre, which didn't stop a large, white-haired, big bearded man sporting a red jacket (no reindeer though) from forcing us to stand up so he could get to a seat that would have had just as good a vantage point as several others.  Arrogance, thy name is Santa.

Even with "Being John Malkovich" and "Adaptation" under his belt, Charlie Kaufman has managed to make an even more self- referential and existential film.  Has he exhausted his resources and is now making the same movie over and over? Or has he stumbled onto something brilliant by encouraging us to look at ourselves as an outsider; documenting and analyzing our decisions and actions? I think it's the latter.  And what an analysis it is! All aspects of day-to-day living are dissected, from the exciting to the most mundane, including therapy, bathroom time, sex, etc.  And it's all done in such a unique and surreal way.

We left the theatre, slightly confused and overwhelmed.  I couldn't help but wonder how my life would look being acted out.  Also, I still can't help but wonder if Charlie Kaufman put up the sign in the theatre about the lines.