Taking a look at the ladies of Synecdoche, New York

Catherine Keener certainly never disappoints, not even when she has little to do, and she certainly has little to do here. She's never phony and her natural body language is a welcome contrast to the other young ladies Caden interacts with. 

Samantha Morton has the most screen time. She's got a very unique presence, to say the least. I can imagine a lesser actress infusing the role purely with sexuality and desire, and thank god Morton does not. She makes Hazel likable, even sympathetic. Her nasal voice and almost cute speech patterns add some layers as well. 

I was most excited for Michelle Williams and was quite impressed with how she played Claire. The character veers from tolerable to unbearable for the audience; luckily, Williams handles Claire with empathy and without judgment. Her scenes with Tom Noonan are particularly affecting.

The more I think about the film, the more I remember Emily Watson, who at first didn't make that much of an impression on me. Now, though, the image of her naked and beckoning "Pretty Caden" to bed is stuck in my head. She really took a nothing part and used it to her advantage. Oh, and who would've guessed that she and Samantha Morton look so much alike?

Dianne Wiest. Beautiful. Always.

I was also delighted to see Deirdre O'Connell work wonders with another tiny part. Love her, love her, love her.

Hope Davis more than does her job. 

I think it's safe to say that the ladies in this film rise above what could have been mediocre material to work with. Nice job, everyone.