I've been a fan of Kaufman's scripts since before most of them were made into halfway decent pop-art by directors who seemed to have some difficulty juggling the writer's magic realism with commercial accessibility.
This, being Kaufman's directorial debut, is truly the first Charlie Kaufman film that I can see- -short of Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, which seemed to play rather close to the original text--in which I was able to truly lose myself, without the distraction of music by the Strokes or tacky advertorial moments from nowhere.
Though far from perfect, Kaufman's effort here is probably the first movie of the year I've seen, perhaps the first in a few years, where I felt myself drifting off, transcending really, coming to a place where even if I didn't fully understand where I was, it didn't matter. Jon Brion's ethereal score, and the sensational acting on everyone's part was a big help, but I think it had more to do with the fact that Kaufman himself seemed to allow himself the same kind of freedom in the creating of said picture.
Admittedly, there were times where the film fell flat--namely in the beginning--and some scenes dragged-on needlessly (as though Kaufman found himself a cute joke and decided to stretch it as long as it could go, sometimes even after the elastic had snapped), but overall, by the last half of the film, I was able to let go and allow the writer/director to steer the boat, even when he decided to crash it more than once along the way.
Still struggling with whether or not I actually liked the film, I left the theater and stepped into the cinema's corridor to find myself in a state that was mind-boggling and confusing. There were people walking by me saying things I couldn't understand, there were posters up on the walls that were placed there by people I'll never meet. Walking outside the theater, there was construction, more people in mid-conversation milling by, more advertisements placed there before I ever got there, buildings, an entire clockwork world that enmeshed me in some kind of network I couldn't fathom.
It's a shame that it might be considered neotenous of me to say, but I can only liken the effect to the peaking one feels on mushrooms. As with the movie, I don't know if I enjoyed the feeling or not, but I can't deny that the horripilation sensation wouldn't go away and stuck with me while I wandered the downtown area in a strange reverie that became more frightening as time went on. I didn't want to call anyone I know to tell them about the experience--just as one sometimes chooses to remain alienated and isolated whilst on mind-altering drugs--and I couldn't tell if I needed a hug or wanted to read a book.
It was odd, to be sure, and all I could think was that I was glad I saw the movie alone, I was glad I knew nothing about it before seeing it, and I was glad I had seen it all. Is it a good movie? Hard to say. Definitely not without its flaws. But, as with a serious mind trip, probably something you might want to try at least once. Of course, most people probably won't get it, and those who do may very well end up as existentially frightened as I.
Don't worry, I'm better now.
This, being Kaufman's directorial debut, is truly the first Charlie Kaufman film that I can see- -short of Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, which seemed to play rather close to the original text--in which I was able to truly lose myself, without the distraction of music by the Strokes or tacky advertorial moments from nowhere.
Though far from perfect, Kaufman's effort here is probably the first movie of the year I've seen, perhaps the first in a few years, where I felt myself drifting off, transcending really, coming to a place where even if I didn't fully understand where I was, it didn't matter. Jon Brion's ethereal score, and the sensational acting on everyone's part was a big help, but I think it had more to do with the fact that Kaufman himself seemed to allow himself the same kind of freedom in the creating of said picture.
Admittedly, there were times where the film fell flat--namely in the beginning--and some scenes dragged-on needlessly (as though Kaufman found himself a cute joke and decided to stretch it as long as it could go, sometimes even after the elastic had snapped), but overall, by the last half of the film, I was able to let go and allow the writer/director to steer the boat, even when he decided to crash it more than once along the way.
Still struggling with whether or not I actually liked the film, I left the theater and stepped into the cinema's corridor to find myself in a state that was mind-boggling and confusing. There were people walking by me saying things I couldn't understand, there were posters up on the walls that were placed there by people I'll never meet. Walking outside the theater, there was construction, more people in mid-conversation milling by, more advertisements placed there before I ever got there, buildings, an entire clockwork world that enmeshed me in some kind of network I couldn't fathom.
It's a shame that it might be considered neotenous of me to say, but I can only liken the effect to the peaking one feels on mushrooms. As with the movie, I don't know if I enjoyed the feeling or not, but I can't deny that the horripilation sensation wouldn't go away and stuck with me while I wandered the downtown area in a strange reverie that became more frightening as time went on. I didn't want to call anyone I know to tell them about the experience--just as one sometimes chooses to remain alienated and isolated whilst on mind-altering drugs--and I couldn't tell if I needed a hug or wanted to read a book.
It was odd, to be sure, and all I could think was that I was glad I saw the movie alone, I was glad I knew nothing about it before seeing it, and I was glad I had seen it all. Is it a good movie? Hard to say. Definitely not without its flaws. But, as with a serious mind trip, probably something you might want to try at least once. Of course, most people probably won't get it, and those who do may very well end up as existentially frightened as I.
Don't worry, I'm better now.