Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Okay, so I lied. I do kind of know why it took me so long to review the Matador. Part of the reason, at least. Shortly thereafter, I saw Eternal Sunshine, and it left me disquieted and unsure what to say or even whether to say anything, and that leaked into the other thoughts I had about the other movie, and then I was just stuck.

Kind of like I am again now, as it happens. Good movie, though. Very good use of camerawork to demonstrate the workings of how people think and remember. Good use of the taking the story out of order to frame important events properly device, and that’s not light praise from me, because a lot of people have been doing that in TV and movies alike lately, and it’s most often just a way to get a cheap thrill out of the opening moments of the show rather than a thoughtful look at the entire story. Excellent acting, of course, and also Kate Winslet is everything that I want her to be, as in the majority of her work. (That is, pleasant to the eyes, ears, and mind. Yumtastic, even.)

See how I didn’t really say anything about the movie there? Yeah, I’m trying to keep the plot quiet, because it ought to be seen with a clean slate. But that’s not really it at all. It’s that I feel like with only very minor changes in the facts and in available technology, it could have been lifted right out of my life. It’s not just that it’s difficult to talk about things that are very personal (though it is), it’s that it’s harder yet to have someone else who I’ve never met before do it for me. Like I said, disquieting is what it is. I’ve lived that life, and learned those lessons, and if I’m lucky, someday I’ll find someone else who is the right person for me like that but has also learned those lessons, because I don’t think I can only apply them from my side and have it do any good. So, anyway, being that personal, did I like it? I did. A lot. But I don’t think I’ll be watching it again anytime soon.

Also, referring to an earlier point in the review that I intend not to specify: see what I did there? Ha! I kill me.

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