Ohhh Charlie...

"Synecdoche, New York"
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Catherine Keener, Diane Wiest, Tom Noonan, Hope Davis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Emily Watson
***.5/****

What a film, what a film. It's excruciatingly difficult to write about a Charlie Kaufman film, who also wrote and made his directorial debut with "Synecdoche, New York," pronounced (sin-nek-duh-kee). Kauffman has written some brilliant screenplays in recent memory (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind). This is his most ambitious, and brilliantly flawed script.

Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Caden Cotard, a New York play director who fears that he is dying. With many signs of sickness, Cotard is left by his wife and child who move to Berlin to pursue their own life. The fragile and paranoid Caden is then surprised to the news that he has received the MacArthur grant, Caden now chooses to create a piece of brutal realism and honesty, something he can put his whole self in.

I will not describe all of the characters in this film. Caden has half a dozen feminine influences in his life, most whom have deteriorated his life. Caden's play will take place inside an obscenely large warehouse in the middle of New York. The warehouse will be filled with life-size replicas of buildings, homes, and other New York city fixtures. The whole cast will act out their lives in the created mockup city.

As the film progresses, Caden's artistic craft is disturbed by all of his fears, regrets, wishes, hopes, and dreams. Reality and fantasy are blurred throughout the film creating an endlessly surreal vision from Kaufman. The play extends for decades as the cast and scope grows larger. Caden hires actors to play himself in the play, as well as actors to mock his assistant. Follow me so far?

The film is way to complex and surprising to touch on plot points, characters, and themes. A review can't do this film justice, nor should it. The experience that this film provides is mesmerizing, I will have to see it 1-2 more times to fully capture Kaufman's vision.

While the film isn't for everyone, it will capture an audience of film aficionados who love Charlie Kaufman, who is becoming as odd a screen writer, as David Lynch is a director, and that's a compliment. Seek this film out for a bizarre and touching experience.

A minor misstep for Eastwood

"Changeling"
Starring: Angelina Jolie, John Malkovich, Amy Ryan
**.5/****

Clint Eastwood's latest film is a dark period piece commentating on the corruption of the LA Police in the late 20's in Los Angeles. The film mirrors other good police noir's like "L.A. Confidential," and "Chinatown." The film is also a showcase for Angelina Jolie, in what could land her an Oscar nomination later in the year. Other than Jolie's solid performance, the film relies on hand me down cliches not amounting to the greatness that Eastwood has crafted with his last handful of films.

Jolie plays switchboard supervisor Christine Collins. She lives with her young son Walter in a nice home in Los Angeles. One day Collins is unexpectedly called into work, with no one to look after Walter. She returns home, and Walter's lunch still remains in the fridge. Has the kid been stolen or is he simple lost around town?

Months later, the L.A. Police returns a child that looks very similar to Walter, except it isn't him. Collins struggles to explain that the child isn't Walter, but the FBI won't admit there mistake. Collins is soon admitted to a psychiatric ward where she undergoes bad treatment. A fiery pastor played by John Malkovich seems like one of the only decent and honest men in town as he devotes his radio show towards uncovering the FBI's corruption.

The film tries to portray the corruption as harsh, menacing, and cruel. A standard audience will fail to see that Eastwood gives no character depth to the crooked cops, yet we see them as villains and nothing more.

Around and around we go as Collins struggles and struggles, etc. The film also plays in other scenarios as murder mystery, court-room drama, as well as the previous hospital scenes already mentioned. Eastwood tries too hard to tell this story, the drama is heavy-handed and overbearing. The audience isn't given enough respect or time to breathe.

"Changeling" is a long 140 minutes, but there are some redeeming qualities. Eastwood creates a great looking 1920's darkly lit city, the set design is crucial in creating mood and atmosphere. Jolie and Malkovich in their respective roles. The film just fails to add humanity throughout, creating a less than pleasurable experience.

Early Best Picture Predictions

This time last-year, the Oscar race wasn't as cloudy as it is now in early November. With many of the big hitters waiting to be un-leashed upon critics and audiences in the coming weeks, I will try my best to jot down 5 that I think have a very strong chance of emerging as the chosen 5 come February, here we go...


Best Picture

Revolutionary Road- Kate, Leo, and Oscar winning director Sam Mendes all involved in an adaptation of a strong book, sounds like a good combo for me.

Doubt-Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Probably the two best working actors of their gender. Adapted from a play, dealing with race, sex, and religion. Sounds like a good bet.

Milk- If Sean Penn's performance is strong enough, look for this bio-pic about homosexual Harvey Milk to breakthrough in the Best Pic category. If conservatives can accept it, this could be a shoe-in.

Australia- Sweeping period piece directed by Baz Luhrman (Moulin Rouge) Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackson star in this epic war/love story set against WWII. Could be great, or too stylish for the Academy's taste.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- This is my most anticipated of the year. Behind David Fincher, this multi-talented cast could carry this near 3 hour fantasy/drama/love story to the podium come Oscar night. Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett make it even more attractive and bankable.

Politcally In-Correct

"Zack and Miri Make a Porno"
Starring: Seth Rogen, Elizabeth Banks, Jason Mewes, Craig Robinson, Jeff Anderson
***/****

I'm not sure where "Zack and Miri" ranks in director Kevin Smith's filmography, but this raunchy comedy with its unprecedented title, is a good hearted film with with lots and lots of vulgarity.

Zack and Miri are played by the already Hollywood A-listers, Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks, who play best friend roomies who are strapped for cash. The title of the film doesnt hold back from what we actually see, Zack, Miri, and other do make a porno. There is a lot of the Kevin Smith low-brow humor and dialogue your mother would never approve of. There are many c-words, f-words, and p-words, but the cast is believable enough to pull this joke of a premise off in Kevin Smith film.

The film plays like a Judd Apatow production, Smith is known for using most of the same actors in his films. Jason Mewes and Jeff Anderson are two of the main cast members that can be seen in other Smith films. It's not Rogen, Banks, Mewews, or Anderson that steals the show, it's Craig Robinson who steals every scene as the under appreciated black husband to a demanding wife. All of his one-liners and jokes make the movie, along with Zack and Miri's somewhat believable relationship.

Can an attractive women like Miri actually fall in love with a bearded schlub like Zack? This movie would like to make you think so, and it does a fine job. The basic premise is for the most part predictable, the audience can see most things a mile a way, but the surprising dialogue and small camoes are what make the film go.

If you're looking for a good comedy with solid acting, "Zack and Miri" is the film too see, Rogen and Banks can sit back and watch themselves become big stars.