SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK - IL Y A LONGTEMPS QUE JE T'AIME - RELIGULOUS

SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK
By Charlie Kaufman

syn⋅ec⋅do⋅che   [si-nek-duh-kee]
–noun Rhetoric.
a figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole or the whole for a part, the special for the general or the general for the special, as in ten sail for ten ships or a Croesus for a rich man.
Origin:
1350–1400; < ML < Gk synekdoch, equiv. to syn- syn- + ekdoch act of receiving from another, equiv. to ek- ec- + -dochē, n. deriv. of déchesthai to receive

Charlie Kaufman, the writer and the creator of ingenious concepts, defying logic but always making sense – in my eyes likened to the reading of Philip Dick stories but only on film – ideas so complex you’d need to see them several time to actually get the multitude of notional layers. Kaufman is the ideal conceptual storyteller of ideas that we seek in these troubling times, the closest to am uncompromising visionary cum therapist – a Sondheim of the cinema, so to speak. At times his words - spoken by his outlandish characters - are brilliant.

For us fans of BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, ADAPTATION and the sublime ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, if you will, there’s a high sense of expectation from a Charlie Kaufman piece, especially as conceived visually by bright, avant-gardists [Michel Gondry, Spike Jonze] with an eye to visualize Kaufman’s world, rendering its absurdity in such a hypnotic fashion as to capture our own imagination. And that’s all good when theses ideas work on us and for us.

Unfortunately Kaufman made several missteps in his seemingly low budgeted yet contextually ambitious work, that could have benefited from the visual guidance of one of his trusted visionaries. Kaufman took control of his own dream project with such fervour that he must have gotten lost in his own ambition. Based on reputation, he enlisted a wonderful cast of actresses [Samantha Morton, Dianne Wiest, Catherine Keener, and the list goes on]. They all lend worthy support to a disturbingly perturbed Philip Seymour Hoffman as Caden, a theatre director whose wife leaves him just as he receives a grant to mount his most, yes, ambitious, undertaking ever, a theatrical piece reviewing his own life and resolving his conflict with the people that most mattered in his lifetime.

This is a film without boundaries, where the ugliness of life is vividly portrayed as somewhat beautiful. This is a film about the fears of failure, warts and all. It is also a film without a clear timeline, with a blurry clarity as to what is real and what is imagined and re-imagined. And where Kaufman could have taken advantage and used a smooth lenser to add some gloss to his philosophical film, he chose not to. There are so many missed potentials here from the recreated New York locations set in a massive hangar to the recreations of real life situations restaged by actors playing the people in Caden’s life. Most interestingly is Samantha Morton, his beloved assistant, as portrayed by Emily Watson. Less successful but nonetheless fascinating is Dianne Wiest as Caden recreated by himself.

Schematically, Kaufman’s jagged ideas are the least of his problems, although you’d wish his divestment of Caden’s superficial existence worked more effectively. Just try getting past the film’s title alone. In itself, SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK is a play on words. In fact, Caden’s hometown is Schenectady County, New York. Almost sounds the same, almost a homophone. So if you didn’t catch that reading this review there’s a very good chance you won’t get it at all. I, for one, haven’t figured it out yet. And that’s okay by me since I am still not giving up on Kaufman. I did learn a few things from experiencing the movie. One, that Kaufman is a talented writer. And two, that he is not the grand master one wished he was. Yet he should never stop trying to make us watch, listen and think. In this case, Kaufman has not failed us. He only partly disappointed.


IL Y A LONGTEMPS QUE JE T’AIME [I’ve Loved You So Long]
By Philippe Claudel

Writer-Director Philippe Claudel, relative newcomer to the French film scene, conceived this painfully quiet study of love and regret, and in doing so has given beautiful Kristin Scott Thomas a performance of a lifetime and French star Elsa Zylbertstein a chance to broaden her audience around the world.

The movie is thankfully receiving great buzz as of late and is opening up slowly but surely in many cities. And it deserves to be seen. If anything, I’VE LOVED YOU SO LONG is the antithesis of the Hollywood movie yet uses one of the more recognizable international stars and a melodramatic premise and then works ardently to strip off the misconceptions. By doing so, it offers Scott Thomas an opportunity to emotionally dig in into some serious work and a complex, authentic character that is far removed from her mainstream work. It also affords us a opportunity and exposure into something a little more grounded and not so superficial.

Just watching Scott Thomas, all glamour stripped away, still looking radiant as ever but in quite a pained way, is wondrous. Scott Thomas portrays Juliette, recently released from prison fifteen years after she was sentenced for murder. Elsa Zylberstein is her long estranged sister, who’s kept a distance but cannot deny her blood a temporary place for comfort until she is readjusted. The strained relationship is at the heart of this movie but it never feels forced, neither fake.

Credit Claudel for good instincts and having the knack to find the dignified undertones of melodrama fodder. For those who love to study actresses playing off each other, it would be shameful to miss this opportunity. By the time the film hits the melodramatic pitch that it can’t possibly avoid, all’s forgiven. By now we’ve come frustratingly accustomed to the regretful distancing between the sisters and we crave a resolution. It is only natural in such a truthful film that we get one.




RELIGULOUS
By Larry Charles

It may have been directed by Larry Charles* but RELIGULOUS is truly a Bill Maher experience. A harsh critique, examining religious hypocrisy and condemning organized religion of every kind, RELIGULOUS is a take-no-prisoner, equal opportunity offender; a documentary made to illicit controversy, get many people angry and even incite a debate or two, if not a riot. It also happens to be one hell of a funny movie and Bill Maher knows it. Not sure what the real intentions were but Maher certainly has an agenda in his effort to offend every possible mainstream, and obscure, group that preaches the love of God and the hate towards sinners – that is, all non-believers who may be trysting around, committing blasphemy for simply being who they are.

Much more than Michael Moore, Maher knows how to use the in-your-face medium to its maximum capacity in order to anger his interviewees. By doing so, he captures our interest through combative dialogue, mocking captions and absurd film footage that complement his aims. Taking it one step further, Maher really wants to be centre of attention and by being so clearly shows his bias, disinterest in opposing opinions as well as his politically argumentative nature – by taking the offensive with nary a wince nor a blink – and certainly with much disdain for his subject matters. Without a doubt, he’s taking a political stance by overtly mocking all those he’s chosen to interview. It’s a slugfest and Bill Maher has the punching bag advantage.

Unlike many, I share similar political views with and an outlook on faith as Maher. So it is clear to me that I just may be his intended target audience but then why bother preaching to the converted. Had Maher taken another route whereby he tried to present both sides of the argument he may then have won himself a wider audience. As it stands, he now has the attentions of his fan base and thinkers alike – liberals at large – but as such has limited viewership in those able to appreciate what is most valuable in RELIGULOUS: its sense of humour.

I’m only saying that if you’re easily offended and religion is of a most personal and sensitive nature to you, you’ll do just fine by avoiding this provocative film. Otherwise, be my guest, go and enjoy the mockery.

*no slouch himself, Larry Charles has written episodes of SEINFELD, MAD ABOUT YOU and ENTOURAGE and co-produced CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, among other television series and episodes.