existential despair vs. inspirational sacrifice

We watched a rather odd pairing over the weekend, Synechdoche, New York and Milk. Like the authors it referenced, Kafka, Beckett, Ionescu, Synechdoche was a fairly despressing, nihilistic romp. I like Charlie Kaufman, and I thought parts of the film were moving and quite funny, but its metafictional excesses became a bit wearing at times. It deserves credit for style and uniqueness (a priest gives a hilarious speech in one of my favorite moments), but it felt a bit empty. I am not alarmed at the grim message or the black comedy, but it seemed to me that a film that explored such issues might be more powerful if it left room for more joy and the idea of a shared confusion. Kaufman does do this to an extent, and I think the point is that we must ultimately laugh at some of the absurdities of our condition a la Woody Allen, but perhaps the traumas of the film exceed the capacity of consolation.

Milk was well-done, if less ambitious in its goals. As far as biopics go, it was a cut above and avoided most of the hagiography that goes along with martyr cinema. A lot of the credit for this rests with Sean Penn, who puts in an impassioned performance. I think that the motivations of the killer, Dan White, are perhaps not explored fully (other than the idea that he is in the closet, which seems like pandering to the stereotype of the homophobe to me). I think that Brokeback Mountain is a more powerful and accessible discussion of some of these issues since it achieves the remarkable feat of seeming to be about human beings first, not "gay men." Milk really can't do the same thing, since it is specifically about a movement.

Welcome to the Jungle! We've got fun and games...

Yeah, OK, I gave in. I decided to join the ranks of specious navel-gazers everywhere and create a blog. Don't expect me to use it often, those who know me also know I'm too lazy for that. Launching into extensive diatribes with my cat and/or wife is producing diminishing returns. I need the general disapprobation of the masses to feel truly and completely acknowledged in this fast paced technopolis.