MovieChat Forums > Synecdoche, New York (2009) Discussion > This film made me physically ill.

This film made me physically ill.

posted 14 years ago by zeladsaladdd
27 replies | jump to latest

I watched this film, mesmerized and terrified for two hours. I was crying and shaking by the end of it. And then I puked.

Perhaps the physical reaction was just really bad timing, but this film truly unsettled me. Maybe it's because I'm still young enough to be optimistic about life. Maybe it's because I would like to believe that life evolves into something finer and more beautiful than simple routine.

In any case --- did this movie terribly depress/scare the living *beep* out of anyone else?

[–] adamvegas61281 14 years ago

Mesmerized... yes. Terrified... plenty. Crying and shaking... no. But I could see how that would happen. Puked? No, haha, but once again... understandable. I felt so taken by this movie that I will struggle to put it into words when my brother and I discuss this film as he is the one who recommended it for me. I feel such a mixture of emotions. I am an aspiring writer. I believe the brilliance of this movie, and of Charlie Kaufman, should not be dismissed. Many people seem to loathe this movie. For the life of me, I can't understand why. Unless, they too, had the type of physical and psychological reaction to it that you seemed to have had. It is very rare when I give a movie 4 stars out of a possible 4. The list of those is extremely small. Without much hesitation, when it was over, I turned to myself and said... 4 out of 4? Yes, 4 out of 4.

[–] blewellyn 13 years ago

>>>Many people seem to loathe this movie. For the life of me, I can't understand why. Unless, they too, had the type of physical and psychological reaction to it that you seemed to have had.<<<

I suspect that the reason some people loathe this movie is because you have to be an engaged participant in the film to "get it" rather than a passive observer. This is a thinking man's movie that is packed with details that require interpretation based on your own psyche's emotional baggage. I think this is one of those movies that you will get what you put into it out of it.

I've only seen it once and I know that it is one that I am going to have to watch again to fully appreciate it. It doesn't matter that I know what the ending is because the ending, while well earned, is not the point of the movie. Like life, it's not the destination that matters; it's the journey that is important. I'm debating whether or not I should return it to NetFlix and put it back in my queue for next week or keep it an extra day. I might even end up doing both.

B

[–] Samuraibro 7 years ago

It's almost like people have different tastes or something and just because they didn't like a movie doesn't mean they don't "get it". Get over yourself.

[–] johnson88 14 years ago

Something similar happened to me. I had a terrible hangover and i'd been out in the morning to a wifi cafe and drunk three cups of coffee. In the afternoon waiting for the internet man i thought i'd watch this as i thought i'd really enjoy it... It was just too much, i felt lower and lower and started feeling ill, after a while I was genuinely having suicidal thoughts and overall feeling terrible.
I'm sure some people could enjoy this film but I personally wouldn't recommend it.

I say to my wife "babe I'm just going out for a rum." she thinks I said Run. I go and lay in the car and drink rum.

[–] Jim-500 14 years ago

Yeah, I too found it incredibly depressing and the next morning I woke up feeling ill.

I can't say for sure that the film had anything to do with it--it could have been something I ate--so it might have been a coincidence.

[–] zippyzay 14 years ago

I watched about twenty minutes of it and got a headache and felt nauseous. It genuinely felt like the film's subject matter and direction was the cause of my feeling ill. Still gathering up the courage to watch the rest.

[–] revengeofthefoo 14 years ago

I just watched this today. I thought the movie was fantastic. I was confused at first, but then caught on. I started feeling ill, crying, and then very depressed. Not just a little, very. I want to watch it again but not soon. I don't know if I'd recommend this to anyone.

How's your mother?
She's on her way out.
We all are. Act accordingly.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Spleen 14 years ago

It's a nauseating film, but I think this is largely unrelated to its subject. The film was visually ugly - shot in a kind of fuzzy, scuzzy style that would put you off your food whatever the subject matter. The sound crew seemed to have a microphone right down Phillip Seymour Hoffman's throat. The actors appeared sedated. The same story lousy story and confused script would not have nearly so nasty an effect on one's stomach if it were crisply shot and competently directed.

[–] carbohydrates 14 years ago

A similar thing happened to me, but my case was slightly more acute. I developed a bacterial infection in my colon, and experienced temporary memory loss. This happened after the scene in which Caden sends Hazel home crying after opening night. I also noticed I couldn't move my right leg for a few minutes, which suggests some kind of neurological injury. I don't know if I'd recommend it to anyone, for these reasons.

Really though, zeladsaladdd, if what you said is true, be thankful. I'd love to be that sensitive again. Being devastated by art becomes a rare privilege with just a little age, unfortunately.

------
I'm only five foot one
I got a pain in my heart

[–] revengeofthefoo 14 years ago

A movie causing a bacterial infection in your colon, hm.

How's your mother?
She's on her way out.
We all are. Act accordingly.

[–] lhnrlmitz 13 years ago

this movie made me depressed , i guess that's the point .

"What was once before you - an exciting, mysterious future - is now behind you. Lived; understood; disappointing. You realize you are not special. You have struggled into existence, and are now slipping silently out of it ."

[–] aamj 8 years ago

Good point. I am another witness of the nauseous effect, just that overall dark theme , lifeless atmosphere , makes me feel physical pain.

Man did I hate those fast-paced cuts, my eyes hurt. The movie was tough to swallow on many fronts, so many weaknesses. The overall subject & style had promise, but they surely missed the mark by a mile, rip Hoffman - such a believable act, it hurts.

[–] andelon 13 years ago

Good.
It's a good film to watch while you're still young,
Because This Is Where A Lot Of Us End Up.
Hopefully you can watch this a few more times, learn the lessons you need,
so this doesn't happen to you.
(And just marry that person already).

"There's a Confidentiality Issue there I'm afraid, Sir..."

[–] sponge_101 11 years ago

Optimism is a good thing, and not something that is inherently lost with age. That said, this movie did make me appreciate my own relatively happy life a lot more.

[–] brightwhitehorses 11 years ago

This film should definitely come with a warning label. I can see how it could make a depressed person end their life.

It's so incredibly bleak, like a Kafka novel. I don't have much appreciation for dark art. There is enough depression in life, we don't need to be dragged through the muck. It's easy to dwell on the pain in life, which is what most artists do and then they believe they are profound.

I have so much appreciation for art that can make you understand beauty and joy. These artists are snubbed by the community (think Thomas Kinkade) because they don't see it as 'deep'. This film makes you reflect, but to reflect on disparity doesn't do anything to benefit us as human beings.

That's just my personal take on it.

[–] psdhart 11 years ago

did you also watch it on bbc, brightwhitehorses

[–] brightwhitehorses 11 years ago

No, Amazon Prime.

[–] Clementine91 11 years ago

There is enough depression in life, we don't need to be dragged through the muck. It's easy to dwell on the pain in life, which is what most artists do and then they believe they are profound.

That's the whole point of the movie though. Caden dwells on the depressing aspects of life so much that he stops living his own life, and quite literally has other people live it for him. I don't think the movie is about the pains of life, I think it's a cautionary tale about making the most of your time, and having control over yourself. Or at least that's part of it.

That said, I didn't really find the film to be depressing. I thought Kauffman did a good job of injecting a lot of humor into it, which was good contrast to the otherwise dark material. Overall I thought it was very thought provoking, and very funny, with just the right amount of emotional moments (the only thing that really got to me was Ellen's story).