Pure Movie Magic

Rating: 10/10 (31 March 2004)

It would require an extensive search with a thesaurus to find the words that would accurately describe the merits of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; `impeccable,' `wondrous,' and `incisive' come to mind, though they hardly do this film justice. This is pure movie magic, plain and simple. In fact, anyone who condemns this film on any level with any measure of objectivity is frankly, well, wrong. While one might find little reason to complain about Charlie Kaufman's previous (and equally idiosyncratic) scripts (see Malkovich, Adaptation, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind), at last all the elements of great filmmaking merge perfectly here in what is undeniably a masterpiece (though its hard to top Spike Jonze). Carrey and Winslet both shine, while Michel Gondry's direction (and writing) is exhilarating, hyper, and original - but never draws too much attention to its own innovations. And that's exactly what this film is: an innovation, one after another. It's rare that a film offers so much of what's fresh and new from so many departments; whether speaking about the tech package (cinematography, editing, and sound design deserve equal props), talent, or the writing, Sunshine fires on all cylinders and is relentless in its pursuit to indulge and entertain us from start to finish. Unlike so many films that struggle with structure and character, Sunshine always offers something unexpected in character and plot development. Equally rare in movies these days are twists that are both unexpected and meant to be, that leave no aftertaste of contrivance whatsoever, and Sunshine is full of them. There wasn't a single moment, even for a split second, where I remembered I was in fact sitting in a theatre and not on that cold, snowy beach in Montauk with two characters that remain just as fascinating even as I write this days later. Suffice to say that Sunshine gripped me and never let go, as any great film should. What makes it stand out, and stand alone, however, are the numerous innovations that Gondry employs to extrapolate the complex, fractured, and dreamlike narrative. More importantly, Kaufman's script predicates and demands such innovation (SPOILER ALERT!) since much of the film takes place within the decaying memories of Carrey's mind; and the fact that Gondry and company pulled it off so perfectly is really quite an accomplishment. Thematically as well, Sunshine somehow finds new ground in the oldest and most familiar genre: the love story. But instead of the conventional 'free-spirit-meets-conformist-and-they-fall in-love-and-ironically-complement-each-other-perfectly' type of romance, Winslet's character tells us exactly what we've always wanted to hear but never have before: `Joel, I'm not a concept. Too many guys think I'm a concept or I complete them or I'm going to make them alive, but I'm just a f***ed up girl who is looking for my own peace of mind. Don't assign me yours.' Finally a love story not about two opposites, but between two people who are perfect for each other, and like any real life love story, it's often the perfect match that results in the most confusion, the most pain, and the most work to remain happy.