Eteral Sunshine

Question

You know those movies where you sit down, ready to watch, and something interrupts you after twenty minutes. And then the next night, you get another thirty minutes through, and fall asleep. And then it becomes a struggle to get through the god-damned thing. Man. I really, really tried. And I thought Carrey was actually very good, the best thing in the movie by far. I also liked what struck me as the emotional/thematic core of the movie--the pain of love and loss. But the whole "erased memory" thing just didn't work for me at all. It felt like an an entirely superfluous device. And one that, quite possibly, interferred with whatever emotional power the movie might have had. When I finally managed to finish it, I found myself wondering how they might have made the same movie, without that ridiculous concept. Might it have been better?

G

Usenet · Accepted Answer

If they didn't have the concept, they would have actually had to give some thought to developing the characters of the two lovers.

I thought this movie was the fraud of the year -- brilliantly directed from a hollow script.

Usenet · Answer

Hammonds writes:
[nq:1]You know those movies where you sit down, ready to watch, and something interrupts you after twenty minutes. And then ... through, and fall asleep. And then it becomesa struggle to get through the ***-damned thing. Man. I really, really tried.[/nq]
This happened to me about three weeks ago. On the advice of the august denizens of MWSM, I rented "Blade Runner" (after having read the script online).

I fell asleep about 10 minutes in.

OK, it was my fault. I put the DVD in the player, laid down on the couch, and pulled the blanket up over me. I guess those were too many "sleep" cues to ignore.

The next time I cued it up sans blanket and sitting upright. Still struggled to stay awake. I fought valiently to the end of the film, despite repeated temptations to give up.

Maybe if I had seen it when it originally came out, it would have wowed me as much as, say, "The Matrix." As it was, it just seemed really slow. Maybe I ruined the film by reading the script first?

Lois

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]If they didn't have the concept, they would have actually had to give some thought to developing the characters of the two lovers. I thought this movie was the fraud of the year -- brilliantly directed from a hollow script.[/nq]
Gasp! Surely defamation of anything by Charlie Kaufman on a screenwriting forum such as this one deserves immediate capital punishment? At least twenty prods with a brass brad on each buttock for you!! (the middle hole can be left unfilled for a first offence.. but another Kaufman slur and Brad will personally get medieval on your ***!!) ;-)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Hammonds writes:[/nq]
[nq:2]You know those movies where you sit down, ready to ... thirty minutes through, and fall asleep. And then it becomes[/nq]
[nq:1]a[/nq]
[nq:2]struggle to get through the ***-damned thing. Man. I really, really tried.[/nq]
[nq:1]This happened to me about three weeks ago. On the advice of the august denizens of MWSM, I rented "Blade ... Matrix." As it was, it just seemed really slow. Maybe I ruined the film by reading the script first? Lois[/nq]
That's cute, Ovum (or Lois). And I mean that in a good way. I know saying something is cute can be taken as an insult in some quarters. I probably find it cute because I can relate to it. As soon as I get comfortable and plan to watch something that is on fairly late you can bet I WILL fall asleep. The only way I can be sure to stay awake for something that is on fairly late is to stand up and walk around a little or splash cold water in my face. ;-)

Usenet · Answer

If they didn't have the concept, they would have actually had to give some thought to developing the characters of the two lovers.

I thought this movie was the fraud of the year brilliantly directed from a hollow script.

Posted by Usenet: Via:

Usenet · Answer

This happened to me about three weeks ago. On the advice of the august denizens of MWSM, I rented "Blade Runner" (after having read the script online).

I fell asleep about 10 minutes in.
OK, it was my fault. I put the DVD in the player, laid down on the couch, and pulled the blanket up over me. I guess those were too many "sleep" cues to ignore.

The next time I cued it up sans blanket and sitting upright. Still struggled to stay awake. I fought valiently to the end of the film, despite repeated temptations to give up.

Maybe if I had seen it when it originally came out, it would have wowed me as much as, say, "The Matrix." As it was, it just seemed really slow. Maybe I ruined the film by reading the script first?

Lois

Posted by Usenet: Via:

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]If they didn't have the concept, they would have actually had to give some thought to developing the characters of the two lovers. I thought this movie was the fraud of the year brilliantly directed from a hollow script.[/nq]
I love "Eternal Sunshine". The character development is right there in every frame. You see why Joel is attracted to Clementine (she's beautiful, free, happy... everything he's not) and why she's attracted to him (he's lonely, soulful, deeply creative...) and you also see right up front the seeds of why the relationship will fail.
She erases him carelessly on a whim, she admits and he erases her in a state of pain and betrayal. Each character arcs around the other in a beautifully symmetrical way, like a Taijitu diagram.

And it has Kirsten Dunst jumping up and down on a bed in her panties.

I love this film.
Alan Brooks

A with an Underwood
random thoughts for
Valentine's day, 2004.
Today is a holiday
invented by greeting
card companies to make
people feel like ****.
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Eteral Sunshine

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