 The year 2008 contained two significant Hoffman roles . In Charlie Kaufman 's enigmatic drama Synecdoche , New York , he starred as Caden Cotard , a frustrated dramatist who attempts to build a scale replica of New York inside a warehouse for a play . Hoffman again showed his willingness to reveal unattractive traits , as the character ages and deteriorates , and committed to a deeply psychological role . Critics were divided in their response to the " ambitious and baffling " film . Sonny Bunch of The Washington Times found it " impressionistic , inaccessible and endlessly frustrating " , likening Hoffman 's character to " God , if God lacked imagination " . Roger Ebert , on the contrary , named it the best film of the decade and considered it one of the greatest of all time , and Robbie Collin , film critic for The Daily Telegraph , believes Hoffman gave one of cinema 's best performances . 
