Wish You Stayed?

eternalkiss, originally uploaded by lokeliko.

I wish I saw this movie earlier when it was still out in theatres. I wish I had tomorrow off. I wish I bought Coke and Makers Mark instead of the beer that I’m drinking now. I guess we can’t erase all of our regrets and mistakes to make life enjoyable.

I don’t know why I didn’t see Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind when it was still out in theatres. After Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, I’ve become a huge fan of Charlie Kauffman’s insane screen writing ideas. And coupled with Michel Gondry’s direction, I knew this movie would be a huge dreamlike experience. Gondry is better known for directing videos for Bjork, The White Stripes, and Foo Fighters

kylie.gondry
Originally uploaded by lokeliko.

His work is compiled on a double DVD and is definitely worth owning. His stuff is amazing and a real treat to watch. Think of Spike Jonze on acid. With this creative interpretation of Kauffman's script and a music video with four Kylies, Gondry is a true G. Anyway, enough with the Kylie pic...

So the Eternal Sunshine DVD finally came out and since picking it up three days ago I’ve watched it two times and it is probably the best movie, in my opinion, to come out this year so far. The story revolves around a couple, Joel and Clementine, who end a bad relationship. Clementine undergoes a medical procedure to have all her memories of Joel erased from her mind. When Joel learns about this he gets the procedure done as well, but during the procedure his subconscious discovers that all of the bad moments in the relationship are overshadowed by the good. It's too late for him to turn back since he's asleep during the procedure so we follow him as he searches for a hiding place in his brain to keep his memory of Clementine from being erased.

eternalsand
Originally uploaded by lokeliko.

The movie made me smile throughout. Coming from a guy, I can honestly say that this movie is frickin' beautiful (I need a cool word like "frickin" before "beautiful" to offset the softness of the adjective). There is so much going on and everything is like a dream falling apart. One scene almost brought me to tears (not "The Green Mile" kind of male sadness but just plain sad). You'll find it near the end when Joel and Clementine are at the beach house...

Anyway, this movie is pretty damn awesome. It made me reevaluate the relationships I've had and appreciate the people I've crossed paths with. Ever say to yourself, "I wish I stayed..."? This movie will make you remember all those times and it will make you cherish every minute you spent during those short lived special moments of life.

I wish I stayed so many times in my life. I remember once in college drinking coffee with someone until six in the morning. It was a relationship where we were friends but we both had mutual feelings of much more. But knowing that I would most likely never see her again, nothing developed and we ended like we started. I stayed, but she couldn't. At that time I felt like I lost everything, but I have always kept that memory as one of the best nights of my young life.