The perfect date movie for neurotic couples

Rating: 10/10 (16 March 2004)

"Masterpiece" would be an odd word to describe any new script written by Charlie Kaufman. After all, in his brief career he has penned screenplay after brilliant screenplay--from "Being John Malkovich" to "Adaptation" to "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" (we'll except here "Human Nature," because I have yet to see it [and it doesn't appear to be too popular]). How, then, could anything he writes now be considered a masterpiece?
Well, riddle me this: what if Kaufman took any of his brilliantly imaginative metaphysical premises, and added a dash of the intensely personal?
The answer? "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," naturally. This film marks Kaufman's first foray into a genre no one would have guessed he would dare set foot in, namely the romantic comedy. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet are cast as star-crossed lovers, each of whom utilizes the services of Lacuna Inc., a company that eliminates all memories specific to another person. It is a revolutionary process, but an experimental one, and when it goes awry... well, that's where our story begins and immediately veers off into territory I can't tell you about lest I spoil it.
This film is quite bittersweet, and remarkably universal. It's nice to see the screenwriter focus on a very human story after a chain of sarcastic romps through, say, writer's block ("Adaptation") and vicarious living as a means of escapism ("Malkovich"). The same goes for director Michel Gondry, who has always walked on the surreal side as well. That is not to say that this product of their collaboration is not surreal, as it certainly is, but that it takes pains not to leave its audience behind for too long--to use an old cliche, it spends as much time with its feet on the ground as with its head in the clouds. The result is a movie that is to long-standing couples what "Lost In Translation" is to friends who aren't quite looking for something more.
Meanwhile, Jim Carrey turns out his best performance since the "Truman Show"/"Man in the Moon" days, and Kate Winslet her best since... actually, when was her last movie? Seems like it's been a while. Welcome back, Kate, and great work. Oh yeah--loved you in "Quills."
Finally, as an aside to Elijah Wood, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo and Tom Wilkinson fans: don't be alarmed, as your favorite actors do a wonderful job. Sadly for you, though, this is pretty strictly a two-character film, and the folks who work for Lacuna are really only there to further the story of the leads. Mind you, it's an honorable task, I assure you.
In summary, while only time will tell how it will be received by the general public (I write having just returned from a preview), we can all sleep easy knowing that another opus has been added to the Kaufman canon. Soon we will have no choice but to accept that he owns us all.