In our slow and meandering begin watching movies again, and catch up with those we have missed, we watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind this week.
I will admit to going into it with trepidation, the previews and information I saw when it was newly released left me with very mixed feelings, and no review made me think "I must watch this". Although I generally like Kate Winslet, I have very mixed feelings about Jim Carey, thinking he can be brilliant or absolutely awful, and petty consistently evenly divided between the two.
Surprisingly, I thought the movie was quite brilliant at times. The characters were completely unappealing and yet touching at the same time. They touched on common threads of human emotion we have probably all felt at some time or another, but I could not help but wonder what these people were doing together in the first place. At the same time the dynamics of the relationship were refreshing in that this cold look, at memory, emotion, and how our experiences and memories shape our lives was precisely that,cold, unlike so many sappy true love conquers all pap that we are fed daily in the cinema. Although the film was well made and the story was marginally interesting, in the end, all I could think was "thank god it over". The fresh insights did not overcome the fact that the movie was going nowhere, just like its main characters.
And so, my feelings are mixed. It was entertaining at times, certainly confusing at times, daring and challenging as well. I am glad I watched it. But in the end, when it was all over, I wondered why. Why spend my time? Did I learn anything? Was the film truly enjoyable? Or was it just new and different and therefore something to see once only to ultimately forget.
I opt for the last option.