What a transition after La La Land! A real Target -> Walmart maneuver. Not that Kate Winslet is actually the Walmart Emma Stone, but it feels like it in this movie, and much else is a downgrade in glamor. It was almost brutal how unattractive I found the larger part of this movie. Maybe over a decade since I watched it. In high school it was a contender for my favorite movie. What did I see in it? Honest beauty in the relationship. Abandon. Whatever Joel says about the meteor. I loved the music too, which is merely fine to me now. If I liked the high-concept narrative, which stands out to me now as the film's legacy, it was subconscious. I didn't nearly understand it the first two or more times. As such, I missed arguably the best part of the movie, and still called it a favorite. I just loved the honesty.
Now Joel and Clementine are immature to me. I started feeling this way in college. I realized it was odd I loved this movie so much without really liking the characters; I mean that's nothing new, but it's odd for a movie that I love because of the characters... yet I don't like the characters. Joel and Clementine are typically either irritated or irritating. It's hard for me to root for them now.
One thing I pondered this time: they were compelled toward Montauk after science did its best to erase all trace of the relationship. Either the science was imperfect, or the science must be imperfect due to some indeterminate force. Lacuna erased all conscious memory of the relationship but could not touch the subconscious drive. They both race to Montauk without knowing why.
It's not a pretty romance. I'm not sure I'm even happy for them. I'm not sure they'll be happy. La La Land had more romantic potential; even if the cards fall right for Eternal Sunshine, it's not going to be an enviable relationship. But it's real, and they're doing their best. Neither is super compatible with anybody. So either they grow up and manage a mature relationship or they make it work as they are. There's something beautiful about that, even if it's never quite joyful.
The script is really good, from its concept to its dialogue. I just don't love the characters, as people.
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