Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
(A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation) is a genius, and so is his work. Maybe that explains why the concepts in his 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind', a film directed by Michael Gondry, are so unique & brilliant. The movie starts where it should end. But this is beside the point for right now. Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) cuts out of work & steps on a train out to Montauk, Long Island. Why you ask? Neither he nor we know for sure. It is here where he 'meets' Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet). There is certain chemistry btwn. them. The scene is uncomfortable to view (for me, at least) because you can tell that something is just a little off. There is an odd connection between these 2 strangers. And even they cannot pinpoint it. In fact, they used to be a couple & have had their relationship swiped from their brains by a Dr. Howard Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson) of Lacuna Inc. We find this out early on in the film.
You see, before the movie even starts: Clementine, who is outgoing & quirky, became weary of Joel's introspective nature & straight arrow lifestyle. It's what drew him to her originally, the magic had faded. She erases him from her memory. Once Joel realizes that Clementine dumped him, he goes to Dr. Mierzwiak to have the same scientific procedure that she underwent. However, during Joel's procedure, he realizes that he doesn't want to swipe all memories of her, as most of them are good ones. From here, the film becomes a race for him to keep his memory of her from disappearing and to win her back. This makes for a roller coaster ride in & out of reality, in & out of time capsules, in & out of Clementine's brain (literally) and in & out of Joel's brain (literally). It is crazy; but a good crazy.
At times, the movie is difficult to follow; one shouldn't be passive while viewing it. But that kept me engaged throughout. And this enables the movie-goer to escape into the intimacy of Joel & Clementine's relationship, and the journey to figure out why they knew each other on that train to Montauk. There is a riveting subplot involved involving Dr. Mierzwiak & several of his assistants, Stan (Mark Ruffalo), Patrick (Elijah Wood), & Mary (Kirsten Dunst). All of them are appealing in their roles. And their participation in the memory-erasing-procedure & the drama going on in their own lives makes the main plot that more interesting. But it is impossible to explain any precise details of that subplot without ruining this review.
Jim Carrey has shown in other works, such as The Truman Show, that he can be serious in his acting & not be a goofball. I enjoy Carrey when he isn't the goofball. There is a real sense of integrity & truth to his characters when he plays them straight. Kate Winslet has never been better, either. I love her quirky performance, as well her rapport with Carrey. These main characters have an emotional center that keeps the movie glued together while all the other craziness goes on around them. They are vulnerable & oddly likable. I suppose you can refer to this film as 'the most offbeat love story ever made'. 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' shows that science cannot always dictate the emotions we feel and try to forget ... but can't.
You see, before the movie even starts: Clementine, who is outgoing & quirky, became weary of Joel's introspective nature & straight arrow lifestyle. It's what drew him to her originally, the magic had faded. She erases him from her memory. Once Joel realizes that Clementine dumped him, he goes to Dr. Mierzwiak to have the same scientific procedure that she underwent. However, during Joel's procedure, he realizes that he doesn't want to swipe all memories of her, as most of them are good ones. From here, the film becomes a race for him to keep his memory of her from disappearing and to win her back. This makes for a roller coaster ride in & out of reality, in & out of time capsules, in & out of Clementine's brain (literally) and in & out of Joel's brain (literally). It is crazy; but a good crazy.
At times, the movie is difficult to follow; one shouldn't be passive while viewing it. But that kept me engaged throughout. And this enables the movie-goer to escape into the intimacy of Joel & Clementine's relationship, and the journey to figure out why they knew each other on that train to Montauk. There is a riveting subplot involved involving Dr. Mierzwiak & several of his assistants, Stan (Mark Ruffalo), Patrick (Elijah Wood), & Mary (Kirsten Dunst). All of them are appealing in their roles. And their participation in the memory-erasing-procedure & the drama going on in their own lives makes the main plot that more interesting. But it is impossible to explain any precise details of that subplot without ruining this review.
Jim Carrey has shown in other works, such as The Truman Show, that he can be serious in his acting & not be a goofball. I enjoy Carrey when he isn't the goofball. There is a real sense of integrity & truth to his characters when he plays them straight. Kate Winslet has never been better, either. I love her quirky performance, as well her rapport with Carrey. These main characters have an emotional center that keeps the movie glued together while all the other craziness goes on around them. They are vulnerable & oddly likable. I suppose you can refer to this film as 'the most offbeat love story ever made'. 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' shows that science cannot always dictate the emotions we feel and try to forget ... but can't.