Spellbinding

Rating: 10/10 (15 October 2006)

This is a film watched best with no preconceptions about it, like me at the time. All I knew was that it starred Jim Carrey (a fact that nearly prevented me watching it) and that it had received generally good reviews.
The story was hard to follow at first but once it started to fall into place and I understood what was going on I became hopelessly overcome by emotion. I've never seen such an original and heartbreaking film about love. It made me think about real relationships - how all those happy memories can begin to disintegrate when they are tainted by the bitterness and regret that can creep up on you when a relationship falls apart. I looked at my own (very happy) marriage and hoped to God that I will never forget all the wonderful times we've shared, even if we don't last the distance. I had sobbed my heart out by the end of the film but I honestly felt all the better for it.
Jim Carrey is a marvel to watch. It's as if his usual screen persona was switched with the character played by Kate Winslet. I had no clue that he could deliver such a subtle, sympathetic performance. Kate Winslet's Clementine could have been the typical annoyingly ditsy flake seen so often in films about love and relationships but she was truly believable and utterly unique.
This film requires several viewings to completely appreciate the dialogue, the special effects (although I believe some were camera tricks rather than computer-generated) and the meticulous attention to detail. A highly recommended masterpiece.