Gondry and Kaufman at their best

Rating: 10/10 (2 February 2005)

Eternal Sunshine marks the second collaboration between the writer and director that I am aware of, the first being Human Nature. While Nature was an excellent film-- well-cast, well-written, and well-shot-- Eternal Sunshine is a more intricate work. The storyline is quite a good deal more involved and may be Kaufman's most emotional work yet (Adaptation being the possible exception). Gondry, directing with what can only be assumed to have been a much larger budget, skillfully manipulated every visual, sonic, and temporal aspect of the film, moving us through it in a style which is all his own. This film reflects more the energy and pace of Gondry's music videos than that of Human Nature, which is by no means a fault. The opposite is true: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is easily the most recognizable film of the year it was released, thanks to the storytelling ability of Charlie Kaufman and the virtuosic powers of presentation possessed by Michel Gondry.