Most Valuable Performances: Kate Winslet

Clementine. We have all known a Clementine in our lives. The person that we thought was "the one" but eventually the newness fades away and we see these Clementines for what they are. Fragile human beings who have the same worries and fears as the rest of us. They aren't perfect and we should never have expected them to be.

What makes Winslet's performance so impressive is that we never not once see Kate Winslet, Academy Award winning actress. We see the one who broke our hearts. Winslet only plays one half of the onscreen couple in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, yet ultimately she is the sole focus. Joel (Jim Carrey) can't stand knowing that she had him erased from his memory so he seeks to perpetrate the same act against her.

What Joel comes to find out and what we already know is that you can't remove that presence from your life. These people are an influence on our lives and what wisdom they place with us as they depart should not be dispensed.

The arguments, the intimacy, the mundane, all of it matters. It makes us human. Clementine is indispensable from Joel's existence and Winslet's raw, and true portrayal makes that clear.

That Clementine and Joel's break-up has such a personal effect on the audience is a testament to Winslet's complete presentation of a woman that has no ulterior motives, she just wants to be happy. We need for her to be happy with Joel as well. And the last scene that parts us from the film is a bittersweet moment as it gives us an opportune moment to reflect on our second chances.

The Best of the Decade

Over the last ten years, the cinema has given us a great deal to be thankful for: a rebirth of the Batman franchise, a series of examinations of what it means to live in this particular decade, and a mass of character studies whether they be animated or popcorn thrillers. As much as I have enjoyed the offerings, a list must be culled together for the end of the year. Except this year is different, this year ten films must be selected from hundreds. Below are some of the best of the aughts. Enjoy! 10) There Will Be Blood Paul Thomas Anderson's magnum opus, a scathing look at extremism in America and the evils of greed and profiteering from religion. It also features the best performance of the decade with Daniel Day-Lewis as oil-man Daniel Plainview. 9) Up A beautiful tale that entrances all ages, Up managed to captivate children and tell a tale that adults cherish as well. 8) The Dark Knight Maybe just a comic book film, but it is the best comic book film

Paprika vs. Inception

Months before Inception hit the theaters forums were alive with rumors that Christopher Nolan either accidentally or intentionally stole some details from another film, the Japanese anime Paprika. The biggest point of comparison for some bloggers and forum runners was the fact that both of the films featured a device that allowed a person, or people, to travel into another’s dreams and delve into their subconscious. Minor points of comparison include scenes in Paprika where the character Paprika breaks through a mirrored wall by holding her hand to it, as well as a scene where a police detective falls his way down a hallway. Claims have been made that Inception abounds with imagery similar to or exactly like the anime movie, but with the recent release of the film on DVD and Blu-Ray, and with Paprika available for several years now, an examination of the two plots can be made more fully. Let us begin with the primary claim— Inception stole the idea of a dream

Armond White or: How I Learned to Stop Caring and Ignore the Troll

Whether it is his glowing review of Norbit , his thrashing of Toy Story 3 , or just his general pompousness, you are aware of Armond White. His dismissal of Toy Story 3 came at a convenient time when the film was sitting pretty with a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. "But Toy Story 3 is so besotted with brand names and product-placement that it stops being about the innocent pleasures of imagination—the usefulness of toys—and strictly celebrates consumerism." A claim that could have been taken at face value had he not followed it with this sentiment " Transformers 2 already explored the same plot to greater thrill and opulence." I am sure if one were inclined to interview Michael Bay at his most enlightened he would have never crafted an answer that insightful regarding hidden parables in his Transformers vehicle. White was at his most incensed when forced to sit down and type out his thoughts regarding Precious , but praised Norbit for its reflection o

Never Mind Pop Film

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