does this mean you think he was phoning it in on earlier releases?

Is that your false dichotomy? Phoning it in or indulgence?

No, I don't think he was phoning it in in his other films, but I think this one is his first whole creation, as opposed to working with another big talent, i.e., Kaufman.

yes it's my false dichotomy and you're going to CHOOSE BETWEEN ONE OR THE OTHER, BITCH!

i didn't mean to be so confrontational, but you upped the ante. your initial text made me think you thought that gondry was not able to indulge himself fully, i.e. that he was hampered somewhat. maybe i was overstating when i said "phoning it in" but there's nothing that precludes a director from "indulging himself fully" in a work whose script he did not write, etc. in fact, given that by taking on more roles he has more irons in the fire, perhaps he will not be able to be as focused in his directing as in previous efforts. not that the trailer gave any indication of that. time will tell.

the only people indulging themselves fully are the two of you, in your snooty art-haus nerd pretention. yinties.

Art-Haus? Sounds more like the Crafts-House from here.

cute.