As close to perfect as subjective art can come.

Rating: 10/10 (31 January 2008)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind is a beautifully complex and subtle film, insightful in its message and imaginative in its execution of that message. There is honestly nothing that I would bring against this movie to disparage it, and, thus, my review of it is not filled with sarcastic bits of wit or amusing, mocking exaggerations--no, truthfully, I can offer only my compliments to it, and the people who made it possible. An amazingly innovative director, Michel Gondry's creativity is the perfect guiding force behind the movement of the story. As for the casting, I think it was done practically without a single error. I have always been a huge fan of both Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, and these are proved to be two of their most unique, well-acted roles. The supporting cast are equally matched to their characters, and, reiterating, I have no complaint whatsoever about the acting (even though I'm not usually much of a Kirsten Dunst fan). The cinematography was also notable due to the work of Ellen Kuras, who made each scene inside Joel's subconscious whimsical, bizarre, and even nostalgic. But, in the end, I think, as with most great movies, the credit goes first and foremost to screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, whose genius allowed him to create a story that was not only well-constructed, multifaceted, and enlightening, but also warm, touching, and true-to-life. Eternal Sunshine is a film suited for those who truly adore movies--not adolescent fans of explosions, graphics, and Hollywood romance--for it does not race along at light speed, but, instead, progresses slowly, taking the necessary time to create an incredible portrait of love, memories, and dreams.