The World Forgetting, By The World Forgot
I'm back here at home in West Virginia, relaxing, with some music quietly playing and all the worry and stress of the last two weeks fading away. As promised, I'm going to talk about Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, before my memory of watching it fades like the characters' memories in the film.
Actually, I think I'll weave my discussion of it into a simultaneous exposition on how I generally react to movies. When I first watch a film that I end up really liking, I don't tend to overanalyze the technical aspects of it, or the plot (or lack thereof). If it's a comedy, I generally judge it on the quality of the humor. If it's a drama, I look back on the emotional impact it had on me. Some movies end making me want to immediately go out, find a bunch of guys, and rob a casino (re: Ocean's 11). Some fill me with awe, thanks to some crazy special effects or a brand new idea (re: the first time I saw Jurassic Park). Some are complete epics, based on some of my favorite novels (re: The Lord of the Rings), and I feel like I've just become part of something much bigger than myself. And those are all pretty cool reactions in my book.
Sunshine left me realizing how incredibly difficult establishing and keeping a strong love can be, and how lucky any of us who have one are. (That includes me, for those who are keeping track of the mushy stuff at home!) I also thoroughly enjoyed it because it made me actively think about what was going on, so in that respect it was slightly different from other movies I've watched. I felt like I'd won a small victory just for keeping up with the plot and figuring out the chronology of Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet's relationship. I learned in some reviews that the director got his start in the music video industry, and looking back on it, I can see why. Some of the camera work and lighting effects looked a lot like something you might see on MTV. Normally, that would make me cringe, but since most of the movie takes place in Jim Carrey's mind, the combination works well here.
I would highly recommend seeing this movie, and soon. The acting is superb, the plot is convoluted (but not overly so, and not as weird as the writer, Charlie Kaufman's, other movies), it makes you think, and it could be a pretty good date movie. So there, what are you waiting for?
I'm sorry, have we met before?
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