Your Dream Director For A Kaufman Script?
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Senator_Corleone — 16 years ago(April 20, 2009 01:15 AM)
This thread is pointless. I don't think anyone other than Charlie Kaufman will be directing Charlie Kaufman screenplays from here on out.
Anton Chigurh is dead and Spider-Man 3 is superior in every way to Funny Games. -
GuruAskew — 16 years ago(April 21, 2009 08:41 AM)
Given the mixed reception of "Synechdoche, NY" I don't think Kaufman is in a position to take on all of his own future scripts. I see studios giving him a crack at smaller projects but insisting on proven directors for more ambitious projects. The simple fact of the matter is that "Synechdoche" was far from a critical and commercial slam dunk.
I do think he'll at least have the clout to get like-minded directors along the lines of Jonze and Gondry though.
I think he's pretty much in the middle now, where he has enough control to avoid another Clooney/"Confessions" situation but will still have to concede to approved directors in some cases. I fail to see how that's a bad thing considering how great most of these collaborations have been. -
Senator_Corleone — 16 years ago(April 22, 2009 12:16 PM)
A lot of truly important art receives mixed reviews on its first release. It doesn't matter. The fact is Synecdoche is one of the great films of our time and Kaufman obviously has no interest in someone else directing his screenplays from now on. That part of his career is over.
"The simple fact of the matter is that "Synechdoche" was far from a critical and commercial slam dunk."
In five years, when it's rightfully put on a pedestal as one of the great achievements of modern cinema, statements like this will look more bizarre than the film itself.
Dream director for a Kaufman script: Charlie Kaufman always. With him at the director's chair he produced a better movie than any of his previous scripts.
Anton Chigurh is dead and Spider-Man 3 is superior in every way to Funny Games. -
Senator_Corleone — 16 years ago(June 30, 2009 03:42 PM)
jharkey calling me pompous. Oh the irony.
Synecdoche, New York divided audiences and critics alike. Like all great art it inspired many different responses. It's challenging and rewarding if you put the time into it. The fact that the responses covered such a wide range means it affected everyone who saw it deeply. Even you, jharkey, have been extremely affected by the film; you comment about it constantly.
In five years it will be seen as a classic. Because it is one of the most important films of the decade. You'll probably say you love it by that time, too.
Anton Chigurh is dead and Spider-Man 3 is superior in every way to Funny Games. -
Spleen — 16 years ago(February 13, 2010 06:54 PM)
Even given your high opinion of
Synecdoche
, your high opinion of Kaufman as a director is over the top. He muffed the directing badly. His cute visual ideas - the blimp weaving through the building, or those miniature portraits - had no impact; they scarcely registed. That apartment that was always on fire played like a joke which nobody knew how to take: a visual mess, a metaphor (if it
was
a metaphor) that didn't sing. However great you might think the script was,
Kaufman wasn't able to bring it to life
.
Mind you, Kaufman's previous directors haven't exactly done a great job with his scripts, either with the possible exception of George Clooney (I haven't seen
Confessions
, but I know from other work that Clooney is at least
capable
of directing well). Bringing a Kaufman script to life requires a particular kind of touch that has mostly eluded directors so far - but Kaufman especially. -
OkaySorry — 16 years ago(May 11, 2009 03:55 PM)
How bout Wes Anderson?
I know that sounds strange but Kauffman's writing is so overthoughtful, unsettling, and complex, and Anderson's directing is so subtle and soft I feel like it might mellow things out, esp in the case of something like Synecdoche.
Also PT Anderson would be great with a script of Kauffman's. Like Kauffman's, PTA's writing is pretty profound and symbolic (along with his directing) and he'd probably do really well with a Kauffman script. -
juliaschwa — 16 years ago(January 17, 2010 09:59 PM)
There is no one better to direct Kaufman than Kaufman. I liked the movies that preceded Synecdoche, especially Eternal Sunshine, but with Synecdoche, he reached a depth of feeling and intelligence that still astounds me. I just watched it for maybe the sixth time, and I know there is so much more that I will see in repeated viewing.
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Mudsharkbytes — 16 years ago(January 21, 2010 01:06 PM)
OF the ones that have already been mentioned, the first one that came to my mind before I even read the responses to this thread was Terry Gilliam.
Of the ones that haven't been mentioned - Gus Van Sant, mostly based upon the way he handled "To Die For".
Of the dead guys - Federico Fellini
You have a wooden leg - you must be a table. -
SoundscapeMN — 16 years ago(February 11, 2010 11:25 PM)
if they were alive, someone like Kubrick or Hitchcock.
I guess among current people in Hollywood, beyond Jonze and Gondry, I might be interested to see what Brian DePalma would do with one of his scripts. Jason Reitman also comes to mind.
http://allmediareviews.blogspot.com -
kingwhy — 15 years ago(August 06, 2010 05:21 AM)
his scripts doesn't need a director16d0 because they are incredibly perfect, smooth, articulated (and a billion other adjectives describing power and nicety of his work), and as you know all of the directors he has ever worked with have been obscure (relatively) but all those films turned out to be all-time classics not because of directing but MAINLY WRITING and I really believe that scripts of such greatness are easy too be turned into great films, a mediocre director with relatively good actor (and casting obviously) makes Kaufman's scripts into best movies ever!
But as a name, who can say Martin Scorsese is not a Dream Director for a Kaufman Script of anyone else's script?
I look soo forward to his next move! what it is, I dont know, but it must be great.