Film Review – Comet

This film isn’t a new one for me, it just so happens to be one of my favorite films but I will say this film is not for everyone. I reviewed it back when I saw it for the first time about a year ago on Reddit but I can’t seem to locate it anymore. The inability to locate said review gave me an excuse to watch it again. It was also very fitting for my current mood as I just left a build a robot DIY workshop class for couples. I bought the tickets for J and I a couple months back and there’s just no way I was going to not go simply because she wouldn’t be joining me. However, I was the only one there without a date …awkward (but I got to make two robots).

Comet…the acting, directing, cinematography, lighting, soundtrack and editing are superb. Overall, this film is incredibly aesthetically beautiful. So much actually that it hurts.  I found the screenplay to be so touching that it often felt more than just a film. The beauty of this film is such a rarity … I’ve only seen beauty to this capacity in one other  film, Cloud Atlas. Both films you really have to fully understand what is going on to appreciate the beauty. It’s no coincidence that a comet appears in both films. What is the film about? Simply put, two people crossing each others paths and falling in love. The two characters of the film are portrayed by Justin Long as Dell and Emmy Rossum as Kimberly.  We are taken on a journey of how they met and a few other important moments of their relationship (breakup, trying again, and reconnecting).

You see within the first few scenes that the film is nonlinear story involving the same two characters. The characters are shown at different points in time and in different circumstances but it never actually felt like it moving backwards. So why is the title named Comet? It represents Dell’s favorite word but it also symbolizes Kimberly. I think it’s fair to say that a comet is rare and magnificent thing that maybe comes around once in a person life time. It keeps on moving and then it passes by completely. Kimberly is Dell’s comet. She is this incredible thing that happens to him as she simply passed on to the next destination (the other guy).

Then there’s the whole metaphor of why can’t time be like a painting, lacking a start or an end? The ability to see (interchangeable for many words) what you want to see (again, interchangeable) when you want to see (and again) it. I relate the painting metaphor to the comet symbolization. Maybe that’s me over-analyzing.

The dialogue between Dell and Kimberly is nothing short of thought provoking but for the most part, people don’t converse that way in real life…unless you’re lucky enough to find that person you can be that deep with. Why is that? Why can’t more people be comfortable with who they are and their thoughts and say what they mean instead of using words to hurt someone or hide something?  I think there are many reasons for that but for myself, but one of the reasons I resonate so much with Dells character is the way that he speaks.

A significant thing about this film is that ultimately the qualities that draw them together are later responsible for tearing them apart. Their relationship was plagued with always trying to find the perfect balance and sometimes it was there and other times it was not. The analogy that Kimberly uses is that it was like flipping a pillow over and over for the cool side. Who doesn’t love a fucking cool pillow?

Comet brings me into an emotional state because of the current situation my life is in at the moment with previous circumstances. I’m fearful that the news Dell receives after his narcissistic rant to Kimberly will ultimately be the same news I receive. It’s doubtful that this film will or has had the same impact on many people but as I said, I don’t believe it’s a film for everyone. That makes it special to me.

This is one of my favorite scenes (great song too). To me it represents the trust and love involved that never went away even after they had long parted ways. Kimberly is afraid now…Dell was afraid before (he tried to propose to her once and hesitated…the next attempt he ruined it and she left him).

Dell’s beliefs on the nature of dreams and memories in the way they overlap and his inability to distinguish one from the other is the real key to making emotional sense of all this.

“because to the brain there is no difference between reality and dreams”

In my dreams J and I are still together, but the bad thing about that is now that I am better medicated and know what is reality versus a dream. Today I have no problem distinguishing between the two (reality vs. dream) as I once did. The inability to distinguish left me with feeling as though there wasn’t anything missing, but I know that is not true. I welcome sleep because of the fact that we are still together in my dreams but in a sense I guess it is really is torture because then I wake up. The reality hurts so fucking much.

There was no closure in this film for me but even with that I find beauty because  sometimes you will never get closure with someone you really love. I was left wondering was the entire movie Dell’s dream and if he died in the beginning and that would signify the whole Sixth Sense tie in. I contemplate the dreaming idea because of the instability that occurs in some of the scenes such as while reading Kimberly’s thesis (we can’t read in our dreams – or at least I never have been able to), while explaining that he had a dream of their current conversation, the two suns, the lens flaring, and in neither plane of existence did Dell end up with Kimberly. All that leaves me to believe that he died and that’s ok because he didn’t belong in a world in which he and Kimberly didn’t end up together anyway.

Here’s a clip of the final, powerful dialogue between the two.

Overall I feel that Justin and Emmy gave an outstanding performance in this poetic film. Have you seen it? If so…do you think Dell died?Do you think it’s all a dream or a parallel universe? Or could Kimberly be lying about the pregnancy/engagement to get her “lie” over with in the beginning of a relationship? Is that what she was going to say after she said, “Dell” and then he stopped her? If you paid attention to the dialogue in the beginning of the film you will understand where this is coming from.

P.S. where’s my fucking money?

9 thoughts on “Film Review – Comet

  1. I agree, I think he died. It was a beautiful film. I really like the earthquake scene, when he was talking to her. I feel like I recently experienced something similar. That whole out of body experience thing that was happening. My ex and I had lots of talks like they had, so that was difficult to watch, as well. I also like your take on the comet symbolism. For me, their last conversation was some stuff I really needed to hear and see. Thanks for sharing! It was a life changer.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. I read a few of your other posts and I decided I would watch this movie based on your review and I am so glad I did. It was fantastic! I can definitely see what you mean that it’s not a movie for everyone because everyone won’t go as you said, deep enough to understand it. I don’t have a wordpress account but I wanted to share your Bipolar word cloud graphic to my blog on another site but I wanted to ask you first. I really enjoy reading your blog post and I’m struggling myself with SchizoAffective disorder.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Thank you! I’m sorry you’re hurting and I find it endearing you are willing to share your feelings from a male perspective. Most girls never get to witness that from a man. I’m leaving you the link to my blog so you can see the share.

        Liked by 1 person

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