I'm a huge fan of Kaufman's work but only recently saw Synecdoche, New York, which immediately became my favorite movie, ever. That led me down a rabbit hole of listening to basically every recorded interview he's ever given. He's absolutely brilliant, sincerely humble, probably depressed, and just an absolute joy to listen to. I have a simple quote from him on my computer that I look at from time to time:
I try to do what I can to put something in the world that is not garbage.
Synecdoche, New York is an awe-inspiring work, but it's incredibly hard to watch and left me ruined, mentally, for days afterwards. It's obvious why it's not a popular movie -- he talks about wounds in this speech, and that movie is basically an open psychic sore. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to make a movie that's so relentlessly grim and honest.
I also found found it incredibly hard to watch, and was also ruined me for days if not weeks. In fact, I think a certain part of me has been permanently changed.
And that is exactly why it is now my favorite movie. A lot of movies have moved me, but this thing did something I didn't even know movies could do.
It leaves such a lasting impression. I find myself remembering some pieces on many ocassions. With my kids, my projects, some aspect of self absorbedness on my own goals.
I think you have to see Charlie Kaufman's "Synecdoche, New York" twice. I watched it the first time and knew it was a great film and that I had not mastered it. The second time because I needed to. The third time because I will want to. It will open to confused audiences and live indefinitely. A lot of people these days don't even go to a movie once. There are alternatives. It doesn't have to be the movies, but we must somehow dream. If we don't "go to the movies" in any form, our minds wither and sicken.
The Rehearsal (and Finding Frances) is with Synecdoche, New York in the bucket of "I didn't know art could do that". I was just in complete awe of what he did with with both of those.
> In many cases a major obstacle is your deeply seated belief that you are not interesting. And since convincing yourself that you are interesting is probably not going to happen, take it off the table. Think, ‘Perhaps I’m not interesting but I am the only thing I have to offer, and I want to offer something. And by offering myself in a true way I am doing a great service to the world, because it is rare and it will help.’
"Adaptation" is absolutely amazing of a movie. Kaufman's works are all amazing but I think this one takes the cake. It's so smart and so well executed. I know Nic Cage is a very controversial actor, and I don't doubt he acted terribly before, but this movie is a good demonstration of how incredibly good he really is if he decides to play well, which really strengthens his other works because you always question "did he really mean to do that just now?" like a Schoenbergian "did he really mean to put a minor second at every measure?"
I appreciate Adaptation for being well written and clever but it doesn't really astound me because it relies too heavily on its gimmick. The classic meta "you see this movie you are watching? I am self referencing it! I am breaking the fourth wall! And now I'm breaking the fourth wall about breaking the fourth wall". The entire thing is just neurotic obsessive self examination without a point. It just repeatedly goes for the obvious joke by laying out the subtext without much subtlety.
If you have Netflix, check out one of Kaufman's more recent films, "I'm Thinking of Ending Things". It's an (increasingly loose) adaptation of Ian Reid's book of the same name. The book is deliberately disorienting and unsettling which makes Kaufman's style really shine.
I'm a huge fan of Kaufman, I think I've seen almost everything he's done. In my opinion, "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" is not his best work. But I have to admit, I think of the themes in this movie more than almost any other film of his.
I read a few interpretations of the film before I watched it and I would actually recommend people to do the same. I think it is worth spoiling the premise behind the movie to understand what is going on. The film is purposefully obtuse which is off-putting to some. In fact, the "twist" of it wouldn't be obvious to most people who watch it. But to appreciate the depth of the story you have to get passed the surreality of the presentation.
Like "Synecdoche, New York", what remains once you strip away the fantasy is pretty bleak in an existential angst kind of way. But that is pretty much what you get with Kaufman: a bleak existential crisis.
Long ago I was the assistant to the movie tie-in editor at Tor Books. One day we're going through the mail and there's the script for Being John Malkovich. I read it, and I'm like, holy shit, we have to do this. But wait, how are we going to do this? So I show it to the editor, and he says, yeah, this is great, but how are we going to make this a book? I mean, I could think of ways, but no way that Tom would pay for. So I spend the better part of year just blabbing to people about this great script, but no one has any better idea of what do with it. Still disappointed.
If you haven't already, pick up a copy of Kaufman's only novel, Antkind. It is easily the funniest thing I have ever read. The audiobook version is perfectly done. I have never laughed so hard in my life.
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I try to do what I can to put something in the world that is not garbage.
And that is exactly why it is now my favorite movie. A lot of movies have moved me, but this thing did something I didn't even know movies could do.
Here's the first paragragh:
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It's a keen insight into the process and emotional rollercoaster of creative work.
The layered hilarity to it all is that it's based on the real experience of Kaufman trying to adapt The Orchid Thief.
https://www.netflix.com/title/80211559
I read a few interpretations of the film before I watched it and I would actually recommend people to do the same. I think it is worth spoiling the premise behind the movie to understand what is going on. The film is purposefully obtuse which is off-putting to some. In fact, the "twist" of it wouldn't be obvious to most people who watch it. But to appreciate the depth of the story you have to get passed the surreality of the presentation.
Like "Synecdoche, New York", what remains once you strip away the fantasy is pretty bleak in an existential angst kind of way. But that is pretty much what you get with Kaufman: a bleak existential crisis.
I didn't know there was an audio book though. That might be worth a look.
https://vimeo.com/45097801
Eliot Rausch edited a beautiful short video with clips from this speech: