Background: As a sequel to the ineffably poignant and heartfelt To The Moon, Finding Paradise follows the returning protagonists, Eva and Neil Watts, as they hurriedly and erratically head towards their new client and second assignment from their employer, SigCorp. In replication of their earlier adventure, the two are once more tasked with entering and altering the memories of an individual ineluctably encroaching upon death, with the intention of eliminating lingering regrets and convincing the subject that the successes and dreams which had woefully eluded them were, in fact, accomplished during their life. The installation of quixotic, falsified remembrances and the revocation of residual pain consequently ensures the final moments of a person’s consciousness are replete with a sense of personal satisfaction and fulfillment. This unique, exceptionally compelling concept evinces numerous potential discussions pertaining to the transience of human life and the innumerable limitations that dictate all we can possibly experience and achieve in the time we are given.
Colin is the subject of the SigCorp employees’ current expedition who assented, despite the reluctance of his wife, Sofia, to undergo their specialized procedure in the years preceding the declination of his health. During the initial consultation, all potential clients are prompted to articulate the specific aspirations to be manifested on their death bed, however, anomalously, Colin demonstrates significant equivocation when asked to delineate the changes he would make to his life. He meekly expresses a general sense of dissatisfaction, yet ardently insists that no alterations are to be enacted to his family structure and development, thus inducing quite a quandary for Eva and Neil to unravel in order to fulfill their task. Concerning the characterization of Colin himself, he was previously featured as the child protagonist of the short, surreal title, A Bird’s Story, which follows his life as a reticent, profoundly escapist individual whose imagination frequently manifests and terraforms the landscape of his reality. Colin develops a close relationship with an injured bird, whom he nurses back to health and eventually come to depend upon as his sole companion. In need of experiencing the freedom of flight and adventure, the bird formally parts with his friend for good.
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Faye, in my interpretation, seems to be a fictional creation resulting from Colin’s loneliness, intended to fill the emptiness left by the bird following its departure. Colin’s parents were shown to be frequently absent throughout his childhood and, with the bird no longer in his life, he retreated within the comforting recesses of his vivid imagination and constructed a new friend so he wouldn’t have to face his tribulations alone. As his situation improved through the years, and he experienced success in his career and the affection of Sofia, Colin saw Faye fading from his mind until he finally realized that he could move forward without her. Relinquishing Faye made Colin feel more present and less aloof, as Sofia professes when Asher was born, though the vastness and wonder of his dreams never quite dissipated alongside his imagined friend, and the lucidity required to fully appreciate the beauty of the time he had alive was unfortunately compromised. Sofia’s mentality exhibited the opposite, and she states that she is contented with her life even knowing that alternative paths and perhaps a happier reality could have been possible for her. This is likely one of the reasons why she cannot understand Colin’s desire to hire SigCorp. Even without Faye, Colin is an escapist, an individual who employs the brilliance of their imagination to numb the pain of confronting problems directly. From my own experiences, I’ve learned that while it is sometimes curative and almost necessary to be occasionally dissonant from the contemplation of life’s callousness, ceding your awareness of reality and welcoming the immersion of fantasy compromises the potency of your ability to be present and cognizant of the happiness you do encounter. No matter the extent of the joys you face, they will inevitably seem diminutive against the backdrop of the limitless potential accessible only within the confines of your imagined, constructed reality. Impossibly high expectations corrode the enjoyment of tangible experiences, leaving nothing but a residual, inexplicable feeling that true satisfaction and contentment are inexorably elusive. I think this vague emptiness was perhaps what Colin was subjected to, which predicated his desire to seek the services of SigCorp despite his uncertainty and inability to articulate exactly what should be changed in order to finally attain this ideal. Yet, all he needed was Faye to cull the memory of SigCorp, as his choice to pursue their program was an immutable representation of his discontent, and instead help him to accept his life for what it was—imperfect, flawed, and categorized by the normal oscillations of highs and lows familiar to everyone.
Colin didn’t need SigCorp to show him what his reality could have been; he needed to be told that his reality was enough.
This was an utterly beautiful game to experience, and though I found the comedic fight sequence between Faye and Watts to be a bit drawn out and tonally incongruous with the extraordinary pathos of the scene which succeeded it, overall Colin’s story was truly capable of eliciting deep introspection on the trying topics of life, death, and regret.