A wonderful interpretation of what love really is....

Rating: 10/10 (11 August 2005)

If you are looking for a film about love that doesn't include cheesy chat-up lines, heart-shaped chocolate boxes and the guarantee that the protagonists will all live 'happily ever after', then this is likely to be a film for you. For once, I have found a film that is not about love in a fairy-tale, but instead, is about true love that you find in the real world, with the bad and dull bits left in. In contrast though, this film never gets dull. For the entirety of my first viewing, I was sat in the cinema, with my eyes glued to the screen and welling-up throughout. I was impressed by Kate Winslet's (Clementine) and Jim Carrey's (Joel) acting, especially since I can not sit through most of Carrey's films because I generally find him so annoying! In this film though, Carrey performs wonderfully as a man whose life seems a bit dull, until he falls in love with an exciting and interesting woman, who brings out his personality and makes him shine. Winslet has succeeded in acting superbly, once again as a character who does not quite conform and strives to be different. Carrey and Winslet have succeeded in producing an extremely convincing relationship as well; working even better together than they do alone.
The heart-felt performances from the supporting actors can not be ignored either. Kirsten Dunst and Tom Wilkinson add an essential ingredient to the film, with another, unexpected relationship that, at first appears to support the work that Wilkinson's character (Howard) does. Howard works at 'Lacuna' which is a company that erases parts of people's memories so they can forget whatever they wish to. The affects of the procedure are beautifully described by an extract from Alexander Pope's poem 'Eloisa to Abelard' that provides a wonderful juxtaposition to images that are gradually being erased of Joel and Clementine when their relationship was happy, as the poem is read by Mary (Dunst)over the images that so strongly suggest that to have your memory erased is to take away a part of your soul. At the end of the film Mary and Howards relationship becomes proof that memories are what makes us who we are, and to forget a part of our lives is to forget a part of who we have become.
As Joel goes through the procedure for erasing his memory he starts to remember why he felt so much for Clementine and rediscovers his love for her and as they meet by co-incidence in Mauntauk after they have both had the procedure they can start to rebuild their relationship as if it were the first time that they have met. What I find most wonderful about 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' though, is that after they discover that they have had the procedure to erase each other from their memories and why they wanted to forget each other, they agree to give it another go because it is worth it, purely to remember the good times, even if the outcome is the same as last time.
Overall, the entire film really sums up what a true relationship is about and is beautiful to watch, not only because of the superb script by Charlie Kaufman, but also because of the wonderfully created mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing and music. Consequently, I give this film a very big thumbs up! Watch it, you won't regret it!