A movie with a wonderful screenplay, great direction, and terrific acting

Rating: 9/10 (23 July 2004)

This is probably one of the best films that I have seen this year.
I must first congratulate Charlie Kaufman for his wonderful screenplay. Much like his previous work, Kaufman's screenplay is both original and thought-provoking. Although the story is generally not as complex as Adaptation, it does convey a more emotional message to its audience. The movie depicts the true nature of love and relationships in the reality. It does a tremendously better job than many romantic comedies and dramas in conveying this material, which is rather funny since the movie is more of a science fiction movie.
Michael Gondry's direction is great in conveying the insanity portrayed in Kaufman's screenplay. Every shot is wonderful.
The acting is spectacular. Jim Carrey's talent shines in this movie. Although he displays some of his trademark comedic personality in the film, he also does a fantastic job in conveying the serious and self-loathing personality of his character. A good example of this is when the beginning credits roll and his character, Joel, is crying in his car. The pain in his character is very evident. Kate Winslet also does a great job in playing the impulsive and emotionally unbalanced Clementine. She does a wonderful job at portraying the negative aspects of her character in Joel's bad memories, as well as the positive aspects of her character in Joel's good memories. The supporting cast is also great.
The soundtrack is amazing. The song that first plays in the beginning credits invokes a very powerful feeling of despair. And yet, as the same song plays again in the end credits, it produces a feeling that somehow opposes the feeling of despair. Throughout the movie, the musics helps to instill both laughter and insanity in the audience.
All in all, I gave this movie a nine. The movie affected me rather deeply. I watched the movie about six times when it playing in the theaters, and I will definitely buy the DVD.