Not the most niche film, but after a re-watch recently, this film greatly opened my eyes on how to let go of guilt, grief, shame and fear. The famous scene at the end where Cobb tells Mal that he can’t stay with her anymore and when he figures he holds on to a version of her that doesn’t exist or isnt the full complexion of who she was as a person, has constantly been on my mind. When we hold onto things we once loved or still love to this day, it’s easy to let it take over your whole life and reality itself- the constant need for closure eats you alive every day and the imprisoning them and yourself to your past memories gives a sense of eternal warmth and comfort. But the truth is they aren’t here anymore or they aren’t at least that version of themselves anymore and the same goes for you too- YOU ARE NOT THAT PERSON ANYMORE! The grief will always be there, of course and that’s okay, cuz you loved them. But the shame, the guilt, that can be worked on, and I think I’m genuinely on my way of confronting it properly, instead of letting it consume me for all these years (I think, anyways, lol)
4d ago
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I took a page out of justheretofillthevoid’s book and watched a movie shortly after waking up, while drinking my coffee. It was lovely and something I expect to do more often!
Something I loved about this movie is it felt real. It wasn’t a stretch of the imagination to think these characters exist, or love each other. Seems small but a lot of movies get it slightly off, so I appreciate it when it happens.
As most people have shared, yes this move is about grief, but I think they did a phenomenal job of showing generational trauma. That which isn’t dealt with, in this case because it was so atrocious and their grandma just needed to survive, is passed down until it demands to be felt.
Overall, a very human film that made me feel a lot of things💗
Jan 25, 2025
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I’m always keeping my thoughts on the few films I choose to write about solely within the pages of my notes up, so I figured what the heck! Maybe someone out there might like the two cents I want to spend on talking about a film that moved me :] Spoilers, ofc!!!
 (2/2/25) Absolutely beautiful film. Watched it with katlafo, and we were both sobbing messes by the end. Throughout the beginning, I spent so much time trying to analyze the film, thinking I HAD to figure out the underlying message of a film I’d heard so much about before I’d even truly experienced it for myself. Man.
The scene where Greg shows Rachel her film was so beautiful. Again, I tried to pin point what it all meant in the moment—the constant cuts to Greg and Rachel’s pained expressions, the long shots of seemingly symbolic stop-motion—but I realized that that was exactly what was keeping me from what I longed for. So I sat there, and felt. And cried, and cried.
Later, the scene where Greg chooses to go to Rachel’s room, allowing himself to simply exist in the silence, taking in the remnants of her life, it was all so beautiful; the tears just wouldn’t stop, haha.
While I didn’t leave this film with some life changing message I was subconsciously searching for, I feel this movie reminds me to love myself the way I do others; and to do things because they matter to ME, because I care about them.
While I want to say I’ll never trust anything that tells me someone or something won’t die at the end, I know that’s not true.
Feb 3, 2025
This movie is so incredible. I had to watch it for my Behavioral Neuroscience class (funny I know), and I sat in my little room watching it on my laptop. There was a purpose to us watching it for class, we were discussing memory and read a review article about episodic memory systems (think the MTL). Every one of the actors was so fantastic. I don’t want to directly spoil anything, but it was nice to watch that rollercoaster of emotions and come away with the conclusion that love transcends things like memory.
In fact, research has found that people with anterograde and retrograde amnesia, even if they cannot directly remember the person that they love, still love them and experience that love. Clive Wearing experienced profound memory loss and the inability to form new memories due to encephalitis. But he still remembered how much he loved his wife, Deborah, and often times she was the only one that could bring him joy. He was able to lead a fulfilled life because he still had that love.
So, if you’re like my boyfriend and worry about some crazy illness or accident causing your loved one to lose their memory entirely, think of Clive and Deborah, and think of this movie, and know that you will still be loved even if they cannot remember you.
Apr 8, 2025
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May 31, 2025
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okay before you say anything- ik its terribly excruciating and arduous to read a gazillion pages about how a certain fella cant go to sleep properly, but STICK WITH IT TRUST ME. Reading Proust is like having an extremely sugary tart. Yes too much of it can be sickening and nauseating, but yet you’ll still crave for it for some reason (just realised im only speaking on behalf of my fellow sweet toothed people, but hopefully u get my point lol). Yes, you won’t remember the start of every sentence and you will be baffled by what the guy’s trying to say at times, but he’ll still lure u in, cuz he’ll remind u why u fell in love with literature in the first place.
May 17, 2025