kaufman is an incredible writer. i think synecdoche suffered from the editing. the pacing is all slow, as though each of the many parts were on display. it should have had a largely frantic pace, rushing through everything then culminating in the ridiculous ending. whoever was editing was being too precious because it was kaufman's directorial debut, and kaufman himself didn't have the detached perspective yet to see that there was too much breathing room in the final cut. i think they edited it a ton, like they went through dozens of different versions before arriving at the final one. the film was originally supposed to be directed by spike jonze, so i think when writing it kaufman was kind of relying on jonze's sensibility to stylize it into his own thing, as he does. still a good film, just doesn't grab you by the head as many kaufman films do.
must sees by him:
eternal sunshine
being john malkovich
adaptation
human nature
i.e., all of them with the exception of synedoche for the reason stated above and confessions of a dangerous mind which clooney (directing) failed to see the point of
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT6QJaS2a-U