One of the greatest romance stories of our time

Rating: 10/10 (18 March 2014)

Charlie Kaufman does it again working with Michel Gondry in this film. Starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet who are both fantastic in their roles, the story of a man who vows to erase his significant other from his memory only to realize how much he loves her during the process is told sublimely from start to finish. This is honestly my favorite film of all time, and certain scenes never get old to me during re-watches.
The concept of this film is probably one of the best and most original ones of all time. Having a man go through a relationship in reverse is honestly pretty freaking genius, and halfway through it when he realizes that he doesn't want to go through with the operation anymore perfectly sets up the second arc of the movie. Jim plays in surprisingly a very controlled and reserved manner, a character that is unlike those that he typically plays, and his subtlety helps to show what Joel Barish is feeling at any given time without having to overtly show the audience his thoughts. Whereas Kate is over the top in her performance; she overreacts, is loud and somewhat obnoxious, and yet times when she appears vulnerable makes you care deeply for the character and wonder what the result of the operation will be. Despite the differences in how the actors play their roles, the two complement each other perfectly, and there's real, playful, vibrant chemistry between the two leads.
The imagery in the film is also really fantastic. Since the majority of the movie takes place in Joel's head, the memories that he relives during the operation relate to that of a dream; one scene may show them in a forest deep in the heart of fall, while the next scene can take them to a snowy beach without any questions arising about the sudden shift in the environment. The brilliant concept of having you see Joel and Clementine's relationship in reverse allows you to understand the sudden jumps from one event to another, and it's heartwarming to go from the struggles near the end of the romance to the happiest, joyous times when the two start to grow fond of one another.
Some of my favorite scenes of all time are in this movie alone. And at first, I questioned the significance in Lacuna employees subplot since I was so, so invested in Joel and Clementine's story. After repeated watches I understand the relevance of showing those scenes; they reinforce the theme and allow the viewer to digest what's going on between the man whose losing his memory and the woman he's erasing. The events between Jim, Kate, and Kirsten Dunst's characters all show that basic human emotion can't be suppressed; no matter how hard one tries to forget a traumatic memory, if experienced again, anew, the human mind will have the same reaction to it over and over again. Mary falls in love with Howard (Tom Wilkinson) again, and Joel does whatever is in his power to hold on to his memory of Clementine. And in Joel's case, the lows of his relationship seem traumatic and horrible during the moment, but remembering the highs, laughs, and joy of what it once was is a euphoria that should be treasured deeply for years to come.
The screenplay, acting, cinematography, costume design, production, everything I can think of in this film was absolutely top notch. The ending and other questions posed by the film are left ambiguous, and that itself is another part of the film that speaks volumes about its place in film history. In this collaboration between Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman, a simple yet brilliant story is introduced. Yet, with the confidence of the screenplay and the assured, dedicated direction, both elevate the film to one that will be analyzed and loved for years to come.