Synecdoche, New York (2008)
This drama follows the life of a theater director named Caden Cotard, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, as he attempts to stage a massive, complex, and seemingly never-ending production of his own life story. Synecdoche, New York, meditates the nature of identity, mortality, and art.
The film features numerous elements of magical realism, like a house that is constantly on fire, a therapist who is also a cleaning lady, and a character who ages backward. These surreal elements reflect Caden’s fragmented psyche and his struggle to comprehend his mortality.
