Brave effort, but some problems.

Rating: 8/10 (22 August 2004)

Eternal Sunshine... deals with big themes using interesting structures, but falls short of its potential due to unnecessary flaws. The film is based around the separate decisions of two lovers to have the memories of each other erased (the main character, played by Carrey, does so only on discovering that the Winslet character has already done so). The memory removal process involves replaying memories of the other party before erasure. The majority of the movie takes place in Carrey's mind as memories are triggered and he changes his mind and tries to find a way of holding onto at least some of the memories.
In the meantime, we see the agenda of the memory erasure company being played out around him as he sleeps and has his memory removed (for example one of the workers has been using his journal as a tool for courting the Winslet character).
SPOILER WARNING
These private agendas eventually lead to the memory erasure people's processes being sabotaged. In the meantime, the two leads have found a way of getting back together, although they do not remember the first time around. They receive records showing that they have previously separated and erased each other but decide that it is better to love and lose than not to love at all.
END SPOILER
Although this is a basically highly romantic film in conception, the delivery is anything but romantic. Particularly grating for this reviewer was the very high level of offensive language. The cinematography and editing were also jarring at times.
I appreciated the serious efforts that the writer and director had taken to challenge their viewers, but felt that, in the end, the film fell a little short of the mark.