Eternal Sunshine/Charlie Kaufman

[Ethereal]

I really feel like I'm going out on a limb on this one but fuck it, there must be a few of you who really appreciate Charlie Kaufman the way I do. I think he is an absolutely brilliant writer, and now director. I would estimate that out of every 10 people I have had watch Eternal Sunshine, 9 hate it (if they can finish it). While I place it easily in my top 5 movies EVER. And when Synecdoche came out--which was his directorial debut-- I was just blown away.

Catalog:
Synecdoche, New York
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Adaptation
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Human Nature
Being John Malkovich

Any minds out there that are just blown away by this guy and his movies?

 

[Neshani]

Charlie Kaufman is great. Haven't seen Human Nature or Synecdoche, I'll have to see if I can find them. Everything else that I've seen by him I've enjoyed. Eternal Sunshine is in my top ten movies.

 

[ColdBlooded]

I liked Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind & Being John Malkovich

Malkovich being my preference.

 

[JazzFan]

I loved the premise of Sunshine but the actual execution didnt work for me. Synecdoche, New York on the other hand I loved.

 

[Fucky McFuckerson]

I like the fact that he explores the human mind in areas that are not yet defined by a single theory.

 

[Mr. Nice Guy]

I loved the premise of Sunshine but the actual execution didnt work for me.

Co-sign on that.

I feel that way about a lot of movies.

 

[VENOM]

I really enjoyed Eternal Sunshine Of A Spotless Mind.

 

[EverReadyT9X]

Eternal Sunshine is in my Top 5 as well. i have not gotten around to seeing his other films which now i know what im renting with my two free movies at blockbuster hahaa.

 

[AKAZIE]

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was hella dope. I love that movie. But foreal nobody else likes that shit. I guess cats brains just be on some dumb shit if they aint feeling a movie like this.

Adaptation is a classic movie to me. But once a again i try to make people watch and they think the shits boring.

Being John Malkovich was sick. I always heard of the movie and one day i was like fuck it im a watch it. Dudes writing is ill.

 

[Nuttkase]

I really like Eternal Sunshine..., Adaptation, and Being John Malkovich a lot. Probably in that order too but I'd have to give that some thought.

I thought Confessions of a Dangerous Mind was decent and while I thought Synecdoche, New York was very well acted and beautifully shot there was something missing from it that made me not care for it much at all the first and only time I've seen it. I do want to watch it again before passing my final judgement on it though.

I've never seen Human Nature. Is it worth checking out?

 

[nrodgers]

damn i was beginning to think only i liked eternal sunshine and being john malkovich good to see other peeps enjoyed it as well

 

[Mike Manson]

Synecdoche, New York is the only movie I've not seen so far. Gon check it out ASAP!

Good lookin out!

All other movies are dope!

 

[Dhadnot]

Alot of Chaarlie's movies go great with philosophy, and film and art theory and that will throw off the non-cognitive movie viewer. Eternal Sunshine was the only film that hit me viscerally out of his films though, everything else is extremely cerebral and necessitates a couple of post WWII french philosophers as guides to the films.

 

[Dhadnot]

oh, and there is supposed to be something missing from Synecdoche New York, that's the simulacra and simulation in process...ya Harry Potter reading bastids!

 

[Robby2Slobby]

Eternal Sunshine is probably my favorite movie..

 

[Ethereal]

To anyone who hasn't seen Synecdoche that is a fan of Kaufman, it is definitely worth checking out. You will be amazed by the movie but [possibly] slightly dissapointed in the end. It is terribly confusing at times but if you pay CLOSE attention, you may figure some of it out. But you'll probably have to watch it again, and again.

Clue: Pay attention to the clocks.

Uno, Dos.

and while I thought Synecdoche, New York was very well acted and beautifully shot there was something missing from it that made me not care for it much at all the first and only time I've seen it. I do want to watch it again before passing my final judgement on it though.

I've never seen Human Nature. Is it worth checking out?

Synecdoche, New York had only one serious flaw in my eyes, that is Kaufman making the movie in such a manner that it is unresolved. It had all the potential to be GREAT (more so than it already is) if only people could piece together a single underlying theme. For example, Eternal Sunshine tells us to love wholely and cherish the things you have, take nothing for granted (to the tenth power). Synecdoche leaves you scratching your head; not because you can't figure it out, rather, there is nothing to really figure out in the end. There are however, several small keys and points that have some meaning behind them, such as the burning house and the concept of time throughout the movie, and it has great artistic value, but again the movie is ultimately unresolved. He has gone on record as saying the movie basically has no main point, and that everyone's interpretation is absolutely correct. This is frustrating and it leaves much to be desired. I could go on but I think you know what I'm getting at. I still like to believe that there is something more to this film that Kaufman refuses to reveal.

I have yet to see Human Nature but I'll let you know sometime soon.

 

[Ethereal]

It is good to not only see some of you liked Eternal Sunshine, but that you hold it in the same regard that I do. I'm constantly checking for new works by Kaufman but as of right now I don't see anything in the making. And unfortunately, his directorial debut was not a commercial success so he is probably going to have to stick to writing and having either Gondry or Jonze direct his movies.

 

[DenverInput]

All ive seen is Eternal sunshine and i loved it, i'll have to give these others a try

 

[EverReadyT9X]

Synecdoche was very confusing, the first time through I had no idea what to think. After a second viewing, the pastor's speech seemed to encapsulate a main point to get from it. there wasnt recurring events that caused this lesson, so i dont think it fulfills what Ethereal is trying to sort out. But i think this does provide reasoning as to why there is no main thing

oh and that scene of the pastors was just fantastic. that will always stick out from the movie

 

[Ethereal]

Synecdoche was very confusing, the first time through I had no idea what to think. After a second viewing, the pastor's speech seemed to encapsulate a main point to get from it. there wasnt recurring events that caused this lesson, so i dont think it fulfills what Ethereal is trying to sort out. But i think this does provide reasoning as to why there is no main thing

oh and that scene of the pastors was just fantastic. that will always stick out from the movie

To be quite honest I have only seen the movie once but I spent a great deal of time reading up on it after. I remember the scene with the pastor, and I remember there was a lot of important content that I was unable to pull together on my first viewing. I'm going to watch it again and probably watch that part (as well as others) a few times over. Thanks.