Would you erase the one you love?

Rating: 10/10 (27 August 2004)

This is definitely the best film I have seen so far this year. It was the most original, heartfelt, brilliant, twisted love story I have seen in a long time. And did I mention that it is also quite funny. This story comes from the brilliant mind of writer Charlie Kaufman. When I heard it was directed by Michel Gondry I was a little worried, Kaufman and Gondry had last teamed up on the interesting but ultimately irritating Human Nature. But Gondry lives up to the promise he showed with his original video work for Bjork, The White Stripes etc... He shows an uncanny knack for creating images that are beautiful and that conjure up emotions and feelings that one cannot put into words. The story involves a lonely man named Joel Parrish (Jim Carrey) who meets a wild free spirit named Clementine(Kate Winslet). They embark on a wild romance that goes sour. When Joel discovers that Clementine has had him removed from her memory by a revolutionary scientist(Tom Wilkinson) he decides to do the same. The people who work for Wilkinson and perform the procedure on Joel are played by Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, and Kirsten Dunst. Each member of the supporting cast delivers performances that cut deeper than one might expect(special kudos to Ruffalo and Dunst who find the bruised heart of their romance and make it more than just a diversionnary subplot. Now once the procedure begins Joel begins to realize he doesn't want the procedure done. And his realization that he is losing all memory of the one he loves is what makes this film the best of the year. Carrey and Winslet are truly phenomenal in the leads. Carrey shows a depth that he has not shown since Man on the Moon. He is truly up to the challenge that the script is placing on him. And Winslet, well is there anything this woman can't do. She is hilarious, and heartbreaking and everything in between. If my plot synopsis wasn't very good it is because i feel you have to experience this movie, you can't describe it, but aren't all of the best ones like that.