Cannes Watch: Kaufman's Synecdoche, New York

One of the most anticipated films at Cannes is screenwriter Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche, New York, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Catherine Keener. That's because Cannes is all about auteurs, and Kaufman is one of the few writers whose films are instantly identifiable as his, no matter who directs them, from Michel Gondry to Spike Jonze. (The one director who didn't allow him to collaborate during production, interestingly, was George Clooney on Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.) And Kaufman's the only director making his debut in the Cannes competition. We will find out, finally, if his director chops measure up to his writer skills.

Here's a rare photo of Kaufman, who hates having his picture taken. He plays the game of being very shy and press-averse, but he's actually just as canny about getting attention paid to him as most successful people on Hollywood.

Comments

[David MacKinnon]

I just wanted to say that I've never been so excited to see a film ever, in my short 25 year existence on this planet. TRAILER, PLEASE.