Philip Seymour Hoffman: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

1. Caden Cotard - Synecdoche, New York

Charlie Kaufman writes weird films. That's what he's best known for, from the surreal and self-referential Being John Malkovich (where John Cusack's frustrated office temp/puppeteer finds a door into the Hollywood actor's head), Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet go to a service that will wipe the memories of their failed relationship from their minds) and Adaptation (Nicolas Cage plays Charlie Kaufman, who writes weird films and...hey, wait a minute). He's best known for his post-modern take on cinema, with sharp scripts which turn the form on its head. What people tend to overlook amidst the tricks and deconstruction is that Kaufman write heartfelt (and usually heartbreaking) stories about people trying to muddle their way through a confusing, frightening world, trying their best to find a modicum of happiness and perhaps even leave some sort of impression on history, a sign that they were ever here. He took that ball and ran with it for his directorial debut Synecdoche, New York - don't ask us, we don't know how it's pronounced - where Philip Seymour Hoffman plays an acclaimed theatre director he decides to put on his most daring production yet. Said production is a reproduction of his own life, in real time, in a warehouse which slowly amasses into a full-scale doppelganger of New York City, with actors playing every person in Hoffman's life - including himself. It is, of course, a deeply odd film. It's also one of the most affecting Kaufman has ever written, ably brought to life by Hoffman as the director loses grip on his own life and ultimately has to face up to his own mortality as the final curtain call on his play beckons. Throughout all the kooky weirdness Hoffman stands strong, even as his character crumbles. A truly career-defining performance.