Not post-modern smoke and mirrors

Rating: 9/10 (17 January 2009)

Charlie Kaufman has come up with what I think is his best film. He has a wicked shameless idea, and in Eternal Sunshine he sets his widgets on the board and puts them in motion. And what do they do? They hurt, they insult, they blame, and they cry. And at the end none of that changes. The pleasure in this film for me was minimal, yet holistic, which is to say Kaufman did his job. The idea behind the images is a thoughtful one and one, I believe, worth seeing played out on the big screen. What one hopes one takes from this film, in addition to the ride, is a thorough understanding where heart and mind fuse for an instant or maybe a few minutes while the film lingers in one's consciousness, is that most people walking around these days are sick, seriously sick organisms who not only want to function as normal people do, that is to say find love and happiness, but don't realize that they are sick. That's the danger to normal people, and to themselves. We can understand them, sympathize with them if you want to, but comprehend that it is only when they develop understanding regarding their problems, as the people in the film did, that they can begin to come into their own sunshine.
This film is just so sad. But the message is twofold, for me anyway. The intended one by Kaufman, is that that's the way it is, and it's o.k. Another film should really start when this one ends, in which those two live their lives together, at least for a while. How would it be to look at that? Making do with sickness, co-dependency, childhood neglect, trauma , and finally finding someone who will still try to love you. Hm. Yeah. The second thing I get from it is that this is such the other side of the coin. Life is so Amazing, so beautiful, if you're healthy, of course, and can escape these travails. Unfortunately it's not a choice for everyone who finds themselves in this situation. But if your not like these people, as I am not, the best that I can do is stay away from them. They're kind of hard to spot right away, aren't they?! Especially when you're young.
This movie is astounding. In a way. You have to keep closed the entire time and let it open you up in the end for you to appreciate it, and understand it. Not the way I'm use to looking at films. Sickness, Co-dependency, it's everywhere according to Kaufman, welcome to urban America! I'm watching this film and thinking the whole time, God, a bunch of sick people going through the motions of trying to find love and failing miserably. Great. And I get to watch it all...but in the end it makes sense. I was also thinking "Post-modern smoke and mirrors," but, no, what this film says is that' the way it is, these are the kind of people who are around, and for me anyway, BE CAREFUL, right? Why can't you open up to this film? So much bad energy. So sad. Better to think about it. It will hit you in the end, though.