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Rating: 5/10 (13 July 2004)

What was that? Sure, the sets were cool. The concept was also unique. But being artsy for the sake of being artsy can leave a project in a mess. This was one convoluted movie. I found it to be original, but certainly not brilliant. It had the potential to be a lot more. The main drawback of "The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" was the sloooow deadpan pace of the film. This movie was in desperate need of more humor. In fact, the few humorous moments were the highlight of the whole darn thing. It also needed to ditch the subplots - very boring - and spend more time on the romance or in Jim Carrey's mind. Charlie Kaufmann had a great concept, but I can't say he delivered. Elijah Wood is also going to have a tough time excelling at not being Frodo. I guess I just don't relate to the awe some reviewers got from this movie. Being bizarre cannot alone a great film make. It also has to hold one's interest. To compare to another recent fantasy type film, I thought "Big Fish" was better. 5/10