Anomalisa
In 2005, my wife and I went to an event at UCLA's Royce Hall called Theater of the New Ear. Promised were two one-act "radio plays" – works specifically written to be performed as staged readings. The first was to be Sawbones, written and directed by the Coen Brothers. The second, Hope Leaves the Theater, by Charlie Kaufman. For reasons that… read more!
I’m Thinking of Ending Things
"I'm thinking of ending things" is the first line of dialogue in this film, uttered in voiceover by a nerdy young woman (Jessie Buckley) whose dull boyfriend Jake (Jesse Plemons) is driving her to meet his parents. She's referring to her unspoken desire to end their relationship after just six weeks. But as the brisk snowy day slowly turns more… read more!
Synecdoche, New York
It's funny. When Paul Thomas Anderson's breakthrough film Boogie Nights came out, everybody loved it – except me. When Magnolia came out, everybody loved it even more – except me. And then when Punch-Drunk Love came out, everybody ignored it – except me, who loved it. My relationship to the output of Charlie Kaufman is similar. Being John Malkovich? Didn't… read more!