I suppose I am one of the minority here inasmuch I neither loved nor hated this film, and I think that this slight ambivalence left me slightly disappointed. Like the vast number of people here, I was familiar with Gondry's "Eternal Sunshine", which I had enjoyed thoroughly. Unfortunately, I was also familiar with a large part of Gondry's back catalogue, including his early video work from the mid-to-late 80's, which meant that the whimsical trajectory of this movie, whilst clearly inventive and charmingly put together, didn't really move or surprise me in the way that it would to someone new to Gondry's work, and that was disappointing, as it felt like Gondry was covering old ground. That said, the film is absolutely hilarious in places (and the rep audience I watched it with was regularly in hysterics) and does also feature some beautiful, albeit wilfully adolescent, set pieces. Also the acting is generally superb, especially Gael Garcia Bernal, who captures Gondry's "I want to be twelve forever" schtick perfectly.
So, is it a success? Yes and no - the story is intriguing, if not particularly profound or well resolved, and the production design is surprisingly unsophisticated, but it is an entertaining, funny movie that delights in saying, "Here is my imagination - deal with it." And that's got to be worth something, which is why I give the movie a seven.
So, is it a success? Yes and no - the story is intriguing, if not particularly profound or well resolved, and the production design is surprisingly unsophisticated, but it is an entertaining, funny movie that delights in saying, "Here is my imagination - deal with it." And that's got to be worth something, which is why I give the movie a seven.