Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Movie

Rating: 10/10 (2 May 2004)

This quiet gem surprised me immensely. I was not charmed by Adaptation or Being John Malkovich, so I expected to be disappointed. BUT NO! I was so taken with this movie from the beginning. Jim Carrey plays Joel Barrish, the quiet, esoteric "nice" guy. Kate Winslet play Clementine, his spitfire mismatch. Clementine changes her hair color as much as her underwear, while Joel scribbles furiously in his journal. These two opposites somehow find their way to each other, and it just seems right. Things go sour after a few years, and Clementine, wrenched by the heartache, undergoes a procedure to remove Joel from her mind. Brokenhearted and betrayed, Joel attempts the same procedure. While his memories are being erased, however, he has a change of heart. Most of the movie takes place in Joel's mind and runs chronologically backwards (like Momento). It's a bit confusing, but it's not as important to be able to figure out the chronology as to recognize the overarching themes of the movie. There is much here to chew on, and Charlie Kaufman throws us one massive bone. Would we be the same person without certain memories? Would we make the same mistakes again? Can we dive into the mind and leave it sacred? Does passion drive us to foolishness?

David Cross and Jane Adams are a wonderful addition to the all star cast, rounded out by Kirstin Dunst, Tom Wilkinson, Elijah Wood, and Murk Ruffalo. These players all delicately but superbly support the story that Carrey and Winslet bring to life with subtlety and charm. 10 out of 10.