Review of Eternal Sunshine
This sentimental determinist movie is basically about an introverted man and an alcoholic woman falling in love and then deciding to erase one another from their respective memories. Apparently they are soul mates, though, and end up back together anyway.
Clementine Kruczynski, the young drunk woman (who has the coincidentally Eastern name), has the power to make any man fall in love with her, but Joel Barish is the lucky one she chooses. Through a series of memories, we learn about the young couple's relationship, which is both stereotypically indy-turned-boring and curiously void of any scenes that apparently led to their crushing break-up. Though Joel claims to assume Clementine sleeps around, and she is drunk in every scene, her deep psychological issues are never raised. In addition, Joel's lack of communication with Clementine about any of his own feelings or his past shows a lack of trust or commitment. Despite all of this, the two are bound together by a path of fate stronger than their differences.
What I am left to wonder is, when clearly the relationship wasn't meant to be, why did the writers very deliberately shoved the two together for a second time (as they did with the subplotted Dr./Secretary relationship)? And why was the Cyrano de Bergerac character stuck in there (and made to resemble Golem)?
Lovers of Eternal Sunshine, tell me the lesson!
Clementine Kruczynski, the young drunk woman (who has the coincidentally Eastern name), has the power to make any man fall in love with her, but Joel Barish is the lucky one she chooses. Through a series of memories, we learn about the young couple's relationship, which is both stereotypically indy-turned-boring and curiously void of any scenes that apparently led to their crushing break-up. Though Joel claims to assume Clementine sleeps around, and she is drunk in every scene, her deep psychological issues are never raised. In addition, Joel's lack of communication with Clementine about any of his own feelings or his past shows a lack of trust or commitment. Despite all of this, the two are bound together by a path of fate stronger than their differences.
What I am left to wonder is, when clearly the relationship wasn't meant to be, why did the writers very deliberately shoved the two together for a second time (as they did with the subplotted Dr./Secretary relationship)? And why was the Cyrano de Bergerac character stuck in there (and made to resemble Golem)?
Lovers of Eternal Sunshine, tell me the lesson!