Greatest emotional experience ever!

Rating: 10/10 (5 October 2004)

Just to let you know after the 2nd paragraph here, I will talk about parts of the movie. So, if you haven't seen it please don't read anything after the next paragraph! This is one movie you can't miss or have spoiled for you. I thought a good way to describe it was to say it's a love story even for people who don't like love stories. Trust me, just make this movie your first priority as far as entertainment goes, you will be thankful for the advice. It will be the best 20 bucks or so you will ever spend on a DVD. Also, if you can handle the emotional waves of this movie I bet you can't watch it just once!
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was, by far, the most emotionally draining experience I have ever witnessed on film! It's been 4 days since the first time I watched it, yet I find myself still thinking about it all the time, it's almost like an addiction! I've never watched a movie before that left me with such strong emotions running through my bones. It was so wonderful that I signed up on to this IMDb just to write a review for it. My advice to all is to go out and purchase this movie! For anyone that hasn't seen it, I would suggest not reading about any of the parts in the movie. Trust me, you don't want to have anything spoiled by hearing or reading about the movie. Just watch it and let the movie work it's magic. I do suggest watching it twice because for me the 2nd time was even better than the first time. I honestly can't find words strong enough to describe how good this movie was and still is. I guess to sum it up, anyone with a heart should watch this movie, you will be blown away by the story that unfolds.
IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS MOVIE PLEASE DO NOT READ ON, I MIGHT MENTION SOMETHING THAT COULD RUIN IT FOR YOU!!!!!
OK if you are reading this then you have seen the movie or just don't care about the spoilers...
I find it impossible to watch this movie just once, actually every time I watch it I discover more and more things....like when Joel meets Clementine on the train and she tells him not to make fun of her name. She starts singing "oh my darling, oh my darling"...yet he acts as if he had never heard the song before. Then as the movie goes on, it all made sense because he had that part erased from his memory. I just thought that some people might not catch that right away and that was a great little tidbit about the movie.
It was just amazing how this story was told. The way the movie takes off When Joel closes his car window after waiting for Clementine to get her toothbrush the first time around was just amazing. Here you are watching this wonderful story unfold of how 2 people meet and the floor just drops out from under your feet. Watching the 2nd time, you know these are 2 spirits connected and their love for one another carries on even after that special connection is severed. Watching the first time I had so much anticipation because I wanted to know how things would work out, while at the same time hoping it would indeed turn out OK. The second time I got to experience both of them connecting through Joel's memories and how there were so many good things for them to build upon.
For me, there were 4 words spoken in this film that might be some of the most powerful words ever spoken. It didn't hit me as much the first time I watched it but the 2nd time I got goose bumps and just cringed like I had just experienced the most amazing thing ever...The 4 words were from Clementine during the last memory scene where the beach house is crumbling away. I'm actually getting goose bumps just thinking about it right now! Anyway, the 4 words are when Clementine tells Joel to make up a goodbye and she whispers in his ear "meet me in Montauk". That to me right there was simply magical! Here we are with Joel watching his last memory fade away and somehow fate steps in and starts it's process of bringing him back to Clementine. You can see right there that the special connection they have carries on even beyond having their minds completely wiped of one another.
I hope some of the things I said were useful. The movie is so powerful and emotional that it's hard to describe it with a few words written on the screen here. The only way to get on the same page as myself would be to watch the movie and let it into your soul. Only then can you experience what I believe is the greatest story of love and fate ever told.