Charlie Kaufman is one of the most original and unique screenwriters and directors in the present times. Winning the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, Kaufman's screenplays often deal with philosophical themes like mortality and the purpose of our existence. His multi-layered stories with surrealist influences can often have a lot for viewers to interpret with meta-elements.
Kaufman can be so meta that he credited a fictional brother for his screenplay on Adaptation (even being nominated with this imaginary brother at the Oscars). As his horror I'm Thinking Of Ending Things drops in a few days on Netflix, here are all of the films that he has written and directed, according to their IMDb scores.
Human Nature (2001) - 6.4
Before Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, filmmaker Michael Gondry and Charlie Kaufman worked on this bizarre comedy that's probably Kaufman's weakest work. Like most of his other works, Human Nature has a pretty perplexing and strange premise.
The film stars Rhys Ifans as a wild prehistoric man in current times. A scientist (Tim Robbins) attempts to teach him the way of the world much against the wishes of his naturalist wife (Patricia Arquette), who feels that the ape should live life in whatever way he wants. Much like Kaufman's other works, there's a lot of philosophy to be extracted from the film which, unfortunately, felt a little too dragged out and uninteresting for many critics and viewers.
Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind (2002) - 7.0
After Adaptation, Kaufman involved himself in writing another piece of meta-fiction. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind was George Clooney's directorial debut based on a "pseudo-autobiography" by game show host Chuck Barris, who falsely claimed that he was once a CIA operative.
Kaufman's script attempts to decipher this falsified history in this black comedy helmed by strong performances from Sam Rockwell in the lead, and Julia Roberts , Drew Barrymore, and Clooney himself in the ing cast. The dark humor is balanced with traces of psychological drama and some well-crafted nostalgia from the '60s and '70s.
Anomalisa (2015) - 7.3
Charlie Kaufman's co-directorial venture with Duke Johnson Anomalisa is a stop-motion film blending human drama with observational humor. The film explores Kaufman's familiar themes of existentialism and loneliness as the protagonist is a customer service expert who undergoes a mid-life crisis, finding everyone around him to be the same epitome of the mundanity that fills his life.
It's a moving experimental slow-burn of a film that might not impress all viewers initially but is definitely a unique animation project. The introspective film was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2015 Oscars.
Synecdoche, New York (2008) - 7.6
In 2008, Kaufman debuted his directing skills with this comedy-drama of epic proportions. In its initial release, Synecdoche, New York was heavily polarized by critics and audiences alike. The story is about a playwright indulging in a realist play in a New York theater that starts blurring the lines between fiction and reality for him.
While many praised the late Philip Seymour Hoffman's lead performance, others found Kaufman's intellectual themes and allegories to be a tad bit self-indulgent and pretentious. However, over the years, the film has acquired cult status for fans of postmodern cinema. Synecdoche, New York also got Kaufman a nomination for Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
TIE: Adaptation (2002) - 7.7
American journalist Susan Orlean authored a non-fiction book called The Orchid Thief that dealt with a flower poacher called John Laroche. Charlie Kaufman attempted to adapt book for a screenplay but unfortunately, writer's block put a stop to that. Instead, Kaufman fabricated a purely fictional story about the process of adapting the book with Adaptation.
In this complicated comedy-drama, Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper). Kaufman crafts an intricately detailed metafilm with his writing while Nicholas Cage shines with his classic over-the-top acting.
TIE: Being John Malkovich (1999) - 7.7
Being John Malkovich marked the beginning of director Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman's successful friendship. It was also the first film where Kaufman served as a writer and executive producer. The satirical fantasy comedy revolves around a puppeteer (John Cusack) who gets into the mind of the actor John Malkovich (who plays a parodied version of himself).
Viewing the world from the actor's eyes comes with its own set of risks that create several moral conflicts between the protagonist and his wife Lotte (played by a career-best Cameron Diaz). When the portal is further used by Lotte, her transgender desires are awakened while the leads co-worker Maxine (Catherine Keener) tries to capitalize on this brain-control. More mayhem ensues in this mind-boggling journey of a film that was clearly ahead of its time.
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004) - 8.3
Transitioning from a dangerous mind to a spotless one, this monumental sci-fi romantic drama had several impacts on its cast and crew. It helped in establishing Michael Gondry as a director to watch out for while revitalizing Jim Carrey's career as a dramatic actor breaking his comedy typecast. Meanwhile, Kate Winslet was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress while Kaufman won the only Oscar of his career so far.
The innovative premise is centered upon a troubled couple who engage in a scientific method of memory erasure, to forget all the pain they went through in their relationship. But the aftermath of this new-age experiment goes awry leading the two lovers to confront memories of the post. Heavy on drama and romance, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is easily one of Charlie Kaufman's most heartwarming dramas.
