Rich experience for movie watching - Must see (SPOILER WARNING)

Rating: 10/10 (15 May 2004)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) is the best movie I have seen in recent years: thought provoking, visually pleasing, emotionally moving and soothing. It has exercised the full potential of movie making.
SPOILER WARNING!!!! In a way similar to Momento (2000) and 21 Grams (2003), I was trying to figure out the time sequence as the movies ran. Except this time it is the couple's relationship in Joel's nightmarish erasure. Contrary to the other two purely rational analyses, this one urged me to feel sorry for Joel.
The imaginative flow of Joel's memory mixed up with the interference of the procedure is like a stream of consciousness filled with predicament. It is visually pleasing and free. Initially I was trying to think, then I just feel, let it happen and "enjoyed it." It felt great!
The earlier his memory dates back, the more I felt sorry for this guy who had been neglected since he was young. In a way he was saved/dragged out of his grimness by the extrovert Clem, despite his misunderstanding of her flirting around and their inability in carrying out intellectual conversations.
Jim Carrey's performance is so great that I can't stopped myself from weeping when he murmured with such sadness, "I wish I had stayed. I wish I had stayed" as the water washed away the sand in the beach house. Things are over no matter how much you regret and feel sad about it. Yet on the other hand, you never know what might happen once you admit your emotion.
Both Joel and Clem are not particularly lovable characters in the movie as in some Hollywood comedies, but it is this quality that makes the movie so close to real life - that many love affairs are unexplainable yet memorable and that's what keep us going.
Apart from the sequence, the movie also forces you to ponder what is involved in a relationship. One thing always come up in breakups is misunderstanding caused by miscommunication. This is clearly revealed in the couple's listening to each other's tapes. I have a feeling that after this ordeal, they will know each other better and their relationship will be fortified.
Another strong message is the predominance of fate/destiny, a theme comparable with Sliding Doors (1998). Even after her memory of Joel is erased, Clem is still the extrovert girl who goes up to Joel and starts a relationship; Mary is still the little fan who falls in love with the professional. So what is the point of erasing our memory? Just forget the past and/but relive it again? If our mind is spotless, will there be eternal sunshine?
One of the values of memory is that we can build on it and learn from it. If we lose it and commit the same mistakes again it will be tragic. Mary's action hit a positive note on the whole notion and glues Joel and Clem back together, making them feel better about each other. We do have spots in our mind and we have to learn to live with it. Perhaps that's why the film is set in gloomy weather and even the ending is set in dimly lit, maze-like indoors. Such is life!
Budding in Being John Malkovich (1999) and growing in Adaptation (2002), Charlie Kaufman has blossomed in this one in terms of exploring the human mind. I am looking forward to seeing this movie again and again. Visually, intellectually and emotionally overwhelming and pleasing. Witty plot, great script, excellent acting, awesome visual effects and warming to the heart at the end. A must see.