Having written Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Charlie Kaufman's hotly anticipated first outing as director is a singularly inventive affair. As rewarding as it is dazzlingly perplexing, it is the story of theatre director Caden Cotard (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and his drive to produce his masterwork.

Living in Schenectady, New York, Cotard's life is looking bleak. His marriage is faltering, his work is stalled, and his body is beginning to be more...