Synecdoche, New York

Is it a masterful ode to the transient folly of humanity and a cinematic equivalent to Percy Shelley's "Ozymandias", or a pile of self-indulgent dog-wank that uses its overwrought existentialist premise to provide a shield of circular logic against any criticism of its conceited whims?

I felt like it was the latter after my first viewing, but I've appreciated it more in hindsight. It's definitely pompous and self-indulgent, but I do think it's very unique and ambitious. So, both, sorta?

This is how I feel about anything involving charlie kaufman, I want to hate it but I don't

idk I feel like Being John Malkovich and Adaptation were genuinely, whole-heartedly really good movies

it's only more recently his work has taken on this new women-are-spooky-mysterious-monsters I'm-so-enlightened mid-life-crisis edge; where before the self-pity and petulant attitude felt more like a joke, it now feels like a statement

it feels like a spiritual ancestor of the die-hard Rick & Morty fan attitude

for me it's a masterpiece, i've seen it 11 times and it just destroys me every time, there's also such a ridiculous amount of detail in the film you could keep finding things for many many viewings.

>Everything is more complicated than you think. You only see a tenth of what is true. There are a million little strings attached to every choice you make. You can destroy your life every time you choose. But maybe you won’t know for twenty years! And you may never ever trace it to its source. And you only get one chance to play it out. Just try and figure out your own divorce…

>And they say there’s no fate, but there is, it’s what you create. And even though the world goes on for eons and eons, you are only here for a fraction of a fraction of a second. Most of your time is spent being dead, or not yet born. But while alive, you wait in vain wasting years for a phone call or a letter or a look from someone or something to make it all right, but it never comes. Or it seems to, but it doesn’t really.

>So you spend your time in vague regret or vaguer hope that something good will come along, something to make you feel connected, something to make you feel cherished, something to make you feel loved. And the truth is is, I feel so angry! And the truth is, I feel so fucking sad! And the truth is, I’ve felt so fucking hurt for so fucking long and for just as long, I’ve been pretending I’m okay, just to get along!

>I don’t know why. Maybe because…no one wants to hear about my misery…because they have their own.

>Fuck everybody. Amen.

*BUUUUUUUUURP*

Where again in that monologue does the character express his belief in the superiority of their intelligence thanks to lack of religion?

Its a masterpiece, only contrarians hate it

kys

I used to like Charlie Kaufman films when I was a teenager, but now I just can't stand how fucking weak and emasculated the men in his movies always are.

He's like the living embodiment of nu-male, which seems to go hand in hand with moping about the inevitability of death and how life doesn't mean anything.

I only watch tough movies full of alpha males

come over bro we've got On Deadly Ground and Predator back to back

You look tense let me give you a shoulder rub

>early to mid 20's
>watches Jordan Peterson
>lifts
>wants muh virgin waifu with aryan children
>thinks they're alpha

how close am I?

It's literally the opposite message though. The last part is just the protagonist venting frustration in spite of his own realization. If you read every part before that you see the"fuck everybody lol" bit is in direct contradiction with the rest.

I'd accept Anglo.

3/5
Jordan Peterson actually has some pretty good life advice, bro.

Women are looking for a man stronger than them. Not a whimpering weakling who cries about the fact that he's gonna die someday. Films can be about all kinds of characters, obviously, but Charlie Kaufman makes films about people who I can't fucking stand.

>There's something wrong with getting in shape, caring about how you ought to live in the world, and wanting to start a family / be a responsible husband/father
Here's your (You)

Gets me everytime

So you secretly hate yourself. Cool.

>that passive-aggressive nu-male reply

Contemplating mortality and ones' achievements is for whimpering weaklings.

You sound like a real thinker.

Contemplating mortality isn't the same thing as watching schlubby New York yuppies crying about their inevitable demise. Remember when Caden told the girl who gave him a pity fuck that he would have been better at being a girl? He was a weak person, just like all of Kaufman's protagonist.

No Country for Old Men contemplates mortality. Lots of art does. Charlie Kaufman doesn't have some special subject matter he's concerned with, he's just especially nu-male and it infects his work.

>That projection

>nu-male
Can you also talk without foggy buzz-words that can mean whatever you like they mean?

It's both

Charlie Kaufman's protagonists all come across as neutered men without a hint of actual masculinity, since you have trouble understanding meme words on Sup Forums.

This is true but I still find value and humour in many of his films. The world and people are not black and white, many dimensions of Kauffman are indeed pathetic and morbid. However Kauffman is still a man. He's taken big risks in his life no doubt to get where he is, he's passionate about his craft and he may idolise women but he's also pretty knowledgeable about how their true nature (cheating hos in nearly always present and women hate weak men).

Then again I physically can't watch love or bojack because I've keep imagining their writing room sesssions

A little of both, but don't think its not my favorite movie.

ITS THE EXEMPLAR OF ITS GENRE, ACCESSIBLE MAINSTREAM NIHILISM

WELL MADE AND WELL ACTED, THEREFORE ITS GOOD

BUT BEING CHARLIE KAUFMAN 24/7 MUST BE PRETTY ROUGH

It's just a movie, stop overthinking it, save your brain for more noble arts in you want to actually do some analysis

It's one of my favourite films tho

>lol just switch your brain off bro

I enjoy complex art but I don't expect much from films

I'm glad you can enjoy it on the surface level, but I really enjoy delving into some of the more interpretable aspects of the film and how they relate to life as a whole. And honestly I can't think of a better movie to do that with