A wonderful romantic fantasy like no other

Rating: 10/10 (13 March 2004)

I've honestly been having trouble figuring out how to start off this review. I don't want to jump the gun by talking about everything that was so moving and amazing about it, and I don't want to chatter on too long without getting to the good parts. So I guess I'll just leave the intro at that; it was absolutely beautiful. I'm a huge movie fanatic, and I've been so upset with the outcome of so many movies in recent years, but I walked out of Eternal Sunshine in awe.
I'm not gonna give a breakdown of the story because it's really something that should be experienced rather than spelled out. While I always thought the trailers for this movie should have gone into a little bit more detail about the story, I realized while watching it that they gave you just the right amount of information: two people who were once a couple have their memories of each other erased, and everything goes buck wild. I was kind of nervous that the story wouldn't explore that though-provoking idea enough simply because there's so many ways to take it. But not only do they explore the idea to its fullest extent, but they tell it with a sense of style and complexity unlike any film you've ever seen. After the movie, my friend and I could hardly contain our conversation about it, and she brought up a good point. The film is told in such an abstract and complex manner, yet it's told with such clarity that everything makes perfect sense.
The only aspect of the film that I think they should have flaunted more in the trailers is the sense of romantic fantasy in the film. It is probably the most innovative and wonderful love story I've ever seen. And considering what a huge fan I am of Amelie, that is saying a lot. Eternal Sunshine explores aspects of romance that are atypical of most love stories, and with the subjective storytelling style and intriguing concept of the film, those aspects are shown in a way unlike any other film.
I should also mention what a kick-ass guy Michel Gondry is. He directed the hell out of this movie, Eternal Sunshine was just what I hoped to see from the person I consider to be one of the most talented filmmakers out there. Considering the complexity and intrigue of his music videos and commercials, I expected that he would be able to knock the pants off the audience in a feature-length film if he was really allowed to do his thing. What was disappointing for me about Human Nature was that it wasn't nearly as conceptually advanced as many of his music videos are. Eternal Sunshine, on the other hand, felt much more like his level and style of directing. This is some damn good news because with this amazing movie under his belt, he'll have the opportunity to do even more sophisticated films, and maybe do for the movie industry what he did for the music video industry.
For me, the most exciting part of the movie was the fact that ever since I left the theater, I've wanted to see it again because there are so many details that I can pay more attention to the second time around. While the story was surprisingly straight forward and easy to follow, there were layers of it that seem purposefully withheld from first-time viewers. I have the distinct feeling that there will be so much more for me to discover the second time around that I'll appreciate it even more; the telltale sign of a truly great movie.
Overall, the movie is an experience. I'm so glad to see something as inspired and thoughtful as this being released for everyone to see, I only hope the general audience gives it the chance it deserves.