I often defend my secular education this way: We read Waiting for Godot and Camus' The Stranger. I wrote a term paper on Woody Allen. For Godsake, we wrote journals. My wife doesn't buy it. She thinks her Catholic education imbued her with special powers of observation and perception, and closeness to God.
At any rate, I know my existential and absurd. As Magnolia was the best last movie of the twentieth century, Synechdocheny, New York is the best first movie of the twenty-first. It is a work of art and loving montage to film and theater and acting and women. Err, I mean homage. When you realize that Emily Watson portrays an actress portraying a younger version of the character played by Samantha Morton, who's character ages throughout the film along with Hoffman, you know you're in a movie like no other. Along the way you'll find pognancy and nihilism and sex and death bickering with one another.
Look out for Adele's NeighborLady, portrayed by an old, familar face. She was also in Doubt. Diane Weist gets Denschier by the day. Another important moment is the priest in the play, harkening to Donald Sutherland's priest in Little Murders. There is plenty of reference reverence and cinematic and theatrical worship. All of it quite Godless and magnificent.
Did I mention Keener as a Lucian Frued miniaturist, traipsing off to Berlin with Jennifer Jason-Leigh? Kaufman has created a movie that will alter your views of filmmaking and acting while it also makes us all accomplices in its sweet story. See it and discuss.
Oh, and Happy Easter.
