my 2 cents

The French will love this film. However, much as I wanted to, I did not.

So many people I spoke with before seeing this flick told me of such powerful experiences. One woman said she was exhilarated after seeing it.

I hate that I am never, ever in with the pack. Even A.O. Scott in the New York Times waxed on about the deep philosophy of the film (echoing Kant and Wittengenstein, no less!).

I guess I should have known going in. Kauffman is clearly obsessed with the brain, the mind, and getting inside the head. And I guess that's where he has lost me (I'm 3 for 3 here as I didn't like Being John Malkovich or Adaptation and I love John Cusack and Chris Cooper, respectively). The cerebral exhausts me and leaves me cold.

In Eternal, if the love scenes had not been on a long island beach in winter, but a warm and sunny beach, maybe I would have been somewhat drawn in. Unfortunately, I know EXACTLY how it feels to be on a beach in the dead of winter and it sucks. I just sat there wishing they would go inside and sit next to a fire already.

So, what did I like? The acting was terrific. Kate Winslett is just so wonderful and so appealing. Jim Carrey, much to my surprise, did a very fine job. Mark Ruffalo stole the show for me. He is so good (loved him in You Can Count On Me-- now THERE's a fabulous, fabulous film). The underwear scenes of Mark and Kirsten Dunst were the highlight of the film for me. My only issue with her and the doc was that the age difference was too great. She had to be 10 years older or he had to be 10 years younger for that to be at all believable. If it had been, the impact would have been much greater.

So, for me, a clever conceit of a film but it left me cold.

updated: April 06, 2004

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