I saw this when it first came out but didn't have an IMDb account at the time

Rating: Null/10 (23 November 2010)

I've never had a movie break me down and make my heart ache the way this one did when I first watched it (in the theater no less). This could be an unfair comparison though since I had a recent break-up right before watching this movie.
Jim Carrey played Joel as a real person and did so in such a believable way that I immediately became impressed with his range when I had been lukewarm about his other attempts at drama.
I've known couples like Joel and Clementine and at some scenes I've been them. Of my friends who didn't like the movie they were always people with no experience or very little. I think what makes people love this movie is realizing how realistic it is and respecting that.
One of the things that makes Eternal Sunshine stand out is its depth. The movie has little hints for you to find and uncover if you watch it multiple times. If you pay close attention you can see that Joel and Clementine have probably erased each other more than once as have other couples. It makes sense that if your memories are gone but who you are as a person is the same that you'd find the same people attractive and have the same desires and of course the same problems and issues. And so one of the main points of the story is a reminder that, "Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it". Therefore, the only way to grow as a person and progress is to keep your memories, no matter how much it hurts. It is part of growing and moving on. It is part of progress.