Let Me Count The Ways In Which This Movie Deserves A "10"

Rating: 10/10 (27 November 2004)

I've watched several hundred movies in the past three years and haven't felt the need to write many reviews at IMDb.com, but for some reason I feel the need to defend this movie. Why that is I am uncertain, particularly since less than 10 percent of the ratings for this movie have been below a "7". But those who hate it...man do they ever seem to hate it.
First of all, there are several reviewers who merely decided to say this movie was "crap", with no thought or reasoning as to why that is. They are irrelevant until they are willing to defend their opinion. Of those who pointed out specific deficiencies, nearly all of them were--in my opinion--incorrect. The editing? That's the style of this movie. If it isn't your cup of tea that's fine, but to act as though it was unprofessional of the editor is ridiculous. The acting? You must be joking. It's a wonderful cast, and in my opinion they are in top form. And you have never seen Kate Winslet and seldom seen Jim Carrey doing anything like this. Not original? Again, you must be joking. For god's sake, it has Charlie Kaufman's name on it and that's about all you need to know. Below average for Kaufman? I think that it's every bit as good a script as "Being John Malkovich" or "Adaptation"--but I feel that this is a better movie than either of those. Not funny? There are a few laughs, but I'm unsure why this movie was ever classified a "comedy" in the first place. However, I don't think a movie is *required* to be funny, just good. Hard to follow? I knew little about the premise before watching the movie and had no trouble following it; that wasn't the case with several other movies I could name. If you listen before the opening credits when it's made clear that what is taking place happened on "Valentine's Day 2004", it helps immensely (although unless I am remembering something incorrectly, that would rather strangely constitute playing hooky from an office job on Saturday).
What this movie qualifies as is a particularly original romance. And the healthy dose of skepticism and reality toward romance that are thrown in the mix (particularly at the end) doesn't detract from that at all. That's quite an accomplishment to me. It's worthy of one of the few "10" ratings I'll ever give on IMDb.com. And of the hundred or so movies I've seen from the 21st Century, I can't think of a better one. If it isn't up for Best Picture, AMPAS will have made yet another major blunder.