Lassitude

lassitude







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–noun 

1. weariness 

of 

body or mind from strain, oppressive climate, etc.; lack of energy; listlessness; languor. 



2. a condition of indolent indifference: the pleasant lassitude of the [warm] summer afternoon. 





　

There has long been a strain of sorry lassitude in Kaufman’s work, and here it sickens into the morbid. Although Philip Seymour Hoffman appears in almost every scene, he is seldom given the chance to shrug off his blue mood and demonstrate the dazzling range of which he is capable. 



One longs for the Hoffman of "The Talented Mr. Ripley," all crowing tones and carroty crew cut. I have heard him, in an interview, say how freed up he felt by that film’s director, the late Anthony Minghella, but Kaufman seems to be following the reverse procedure. 



Such zip as we get is provided by performers in the secondary roles, notably the women: Dianne Wiest, Emily Watson, and, phlegmatic as ever, Samantha Morton. (The best gag in the film is that Hazel’s home is forever on fire; she lives there quite cheerfully, never explaining the flames, and barely noticing them. Buñuel would be proud of her.) 



To what end, however, are these actresses devoting their panache? In short, what is "Synecdoche, New York" about?





slumber

to sleep, esp. lightly; doze, drowse

to slumber the afternoon [away].  

to slumber cares [away]. 

She gazed with affection at his slumbering [form]. slumber party!!!

bleary

bleary-[eyed]

with all its gorgeous, [bleary] vistas and splattered bugs on the windshield. 

effete

and the [effete] genius Adrian, aka Ozymandias,

gallivant v.

Well he'd like us to think that he's writing a novel, but we all know he just goes out and gallivants with freshmen [women] trying to relive Jane.

Languid