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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind DVD

Michel Gondry is an amazing visual filmmaker and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is remarkable, but simple story about love and loss. While the structure of the film seems loose, it’s quite intricately constructed so I appreciated (and enjoyed) it even more the second time through. Ellen Kuras’ cinematography adds to the casual look of the film, but within the frame there is a wonderful combination of ingenious sets and special effects that manage to create a story that is very much emotional and internal. The skillful shooting and writing turn what could be a very talky film into something that exists in small moments and quiet spaces between people. By playing characters opposite to what they usually do, Jim Carey and Kate Winslet manage to hit notes that they don’t always hit. At times the performances are almost painful to watch which is probably a testament to how well we can identify with them. One of the smaller pleasures is the dysfunctional relationship with David Cross as a hotheaded pothead. The balance between the sillier elements and the depressing elements is just right. When I first wrote about this film I said that it didn’t blow me away, but it would grow on me and it has.

November 11, 2004 dvd, eternalsunshineofthespotlessmind, film, michelgondry, review

Ed Wood

I don’t know why, but the DVD release of Ed Wood was delayed several times. Finally it came out and I had to get it since I loved the film when it first came out. I think that it’s probably one of Tim Burton’s best films as it combines comedy and drama all within the context of a black and white film with (intentionally) bad acting. It’s a “B” movie that understands and loves the characters so well that it becomes more than what it appears to be on the surface. The heart of the movie is within the characters and the relationship between Wood and Bela Lugosi. Johnny Depp as Wood and Martin Landau as Lugosi move beyond caricature and create characters that we care about who are struggling to fit in and be themselves with a group of other people who just don’t fit in. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also moving at times and it helps move things along in a film that is over 2 hours long, but doesn’t feel it. With Ed Wood, Tim Burton gets the balance just right in how he slips drama within a “B” movie context. The DVD also features a loose “making-of” with much of that shot on black and white film. What I like about it is that it isn’t a smoothly polished marketing package, but a glimpse into the shooting of a few scenes. It looks like it was a lot of fun to make.

November 11, 2004 dvd, edwood, film, review, timburton

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind DVD

Ed Wood

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