Illuminating the Soul

Rating: 9/10 (22 August 2004)

Being neither a fan of Charlie Kaufman's work nor Jim Carrey's previous comic pratfalls, I met "Eternal Sunshine..." with the same reluctance of the main character meeting his soon-to-be, yet past girlfriend. Incredibly charming, witty, and powerfully surreal, the film succeeds in explaining that elusive, strange phenomena; dare we call it "fate?"

I'd call nearly half of it "Kate," in her best performance since "Titanic," she is as real as a rain soaked birthday party. What person wouldn't want to fight to not forget Winslet as Clementine? She may have a cyclonic temper, but she's a sweet and vibrant personality. She imprints herself on Carrey's Joel Barish so much that his own memory of her becomes a heroine to his invaded mind.
As for Jim Carrey, his own range of emotion, from rage to confusion to utter joy and contentment, adds a deft subtlety to a movie about great extremes. Such an impressive performance makes me want to go to the doctor to erase any preconceived notion about him.
Kaufman continues to point a frightened finger at those who take their lives like a grain of salt, easy to be thrown away or pulled like a bad tooth. Here, not as in "...Malkovich," is a message "eternally spotless:" Our memories and fantasies are what makes us human. No matter how painful they are, we should never throw them away.