Meet me in Montauk

Rating: 10/10 (20 June 2014)

This is probably my favorite movie ever, so obviously i only have good things to say about it. it's gotten to the point where i look at people who say they dislike it with a disbelief expression on my face. With the exception of cases where the person really disliked it for reasons whatsoever, i would say one big turn-off for the first time viewer is the complexity of the movie, the various changes (space/time-wise) and levels through which the story leads us. Here's one tip: try to follow Clem's hair colors, they are basically the greatest element of orientation for us. Of course, only after a number of viewings you're going to realize that, no point trying to rush things. By the way, for people who like puzzling characters and story lines, this is a handful, every time you watch it, there's something new to discover. And, speaking of the characters..to me, Joel and Clementine are already featured on the list of one of the best couples ever to hit the screen. They're like water and oil, and yet, they're the perfect yin and yang for each other, cliché and true. Clementine is often labeled as a so-called "Manic Pixie Dream Girl", but i don't agree at all. I won't go into detail of the meaning of the term, but Clementine is so special and unique that i don't think she is fit for any labels, quoting Joel: "I think if there's a truly seductive quality about Clementine, it's that her personality promises to take you out of the mundane". Kate Winslet gives the best performance of her career, so far. Jim Carrey, too, is nothing short of spectacular, he is surprisingly comfortable in the role of an introverted and shy man, defying all judgments we may have made of his dramatic talent. And yes, throughout the entire movie, we basically only see Joel's mental representation of Clementine, based on the memories they had together...but, even so, who's to say she's not real? Besides all the wonderfulness fore-mentioned, the plot deals with lots of intriguing questions, which are relevant to anyone who's ever been in any kind of relationship (hence my disbelief look when people tell me they didn't like it!). I think the main idea for the story (let me just take a moment to say how i find Charlie Kaufman a genius, and this partnership with Michel Gondry even more), has always been present in people's subconscious, the possibility to alter time and reality somehow, by erasing unpleasant memories, who wouldn't at least consider it? The great thing about the movie, what makes it so real and true, is that we learn that the sentence "blessed are the forgetful, for they get the better even of their blunders", can be questioned. This is what Joel finds out, but we can't shake off the feeling that it's something he (and all of us) knew all along.