Excellent!!!

Rating: 10/10 (17 April 2004)

This movie held up even under my high expectations. I had heard so many good things about it, plus, I had seen so many bad movies prior to it that I needed it to be good. It was. Charlie Kaufman impressed me with his brilliant, mind-bending script Adaptation and this one was just as mentally interesting Yet, this had something that Adaptation didn't, it was a genuine love story, and a good one at that.
I would classify this movie as a romantic comedy, that hardest genre to make a good movie in. Why? Because there is a formula that such movies as Runaway Bride mastered and Gigli fell victum to. What makes Eternal Sunshine work as a story is that it really plays well on the formula. Instead of following it as if they were rules/guidelines, it feels more as if the plot naturally found those required aspects of the genre.
Next in line is the performance power of this unbelievable ensemble cast. With Jim Carrey in an uncharacteristic role, you expect less and get more. Kate Winslet, taking over in the Carrey's usual part, does not let us down and never once has you asking why her hair is not the same color. It just seems a natural progression of the character. Oscar nomination number four here we come.
All the supporting roles are well done. The performance of Kirsten Dunst is, prehaps, one of her best. If the movie does well come awards season, she will to. As for Elijah Wood, he is solid, but probably more importantly, very much not Frodo. He will have a career with out Tolkien. He has proven that here. Part of the reason that these supporting performances work so well is because they are each given a subplot that is just shy of being its own movie. It gives all these actors something to grasp and yet they still fit with the main story; they are actually supporting it by providing a greater amount for us to connect with, making it much more believeable in our eyes. ****/****