An exploration of time and human emotion.

Rating: 9/10 (22 March 2004)

Eternal Sunshine is a cleverly crafted film put together by an entourage of gifted artists. The script is superb. The film contains the element of memory, an item that has been popular in films since the wonderous Memento put it to good use. What if you could erase someone out of your life and have no recollection of any events, thoughts, ideas, epiphanies, love, spite, anger, revenge... foregiveness...? Sounds absurd? The film tries to make us believe that some people would risk an unsafe "unwarranted" brain scanner to probe areas of their mind...manipulating time and emotion. Somehow, it works. There is a marvel to the idea and the film pulls off a unique exploration of it as we walk at times through the mind of Carrey and yearn for him to beat the system and save his only happiness, Kate Winslet who reacts terrifically to Carrey's dopish goofiness.
The two main characters are loners-losers displaced amongst society's structure yet managing to cope and survive in tight surroundings. They are uneducated and have no structure. They bring each other happiness in a brief period of time and their inner demons tear them apart leaving them bitter. Unable to cope they both seek removal of each other from their memories.How they paid for this complicated procedure one has to wonder. Winslet has forgotten him but Carrey is hanging on to his memories and running with Winslet through the passages of his mind and emotions. It touches the heart.
There is something wicked under the surface. The manipulation of time and emotion by the hand of man can be a very dangerous act. The characters contributing to the act are also displaced yet educated. Their lack of ethics was appauling and might be allegorical to certain ethics in science today. Within their circle lies nasty secrets and suddenly their is an evil present and that is the manipulation of time and emotion.

Eternal Sunshine dealt with quite a number of relationship issues, most of them petty little nags that in consistent display can lead to contempt. All they needed was a break and if they wanted their memories erased why not just erase the bad ones. There is good feeling in the end but do not let the truth get smothered by the facade.
This is a wonderful film. Intriguing and refreshing. ****