Happily Surprised

Rating: 10/10 (11 April 2004)

I just saw the movie a few hours ago and couldn't wait to write about how much I loved it. Eternal Sunshine is exquisite. It's an honest portrayal of the difficulty making relationships work. The sparks last until the other shoe falls, and you see how flawed your loved one is (and they see how flawed you are too). Relationships end because each is fed up with their mates annoying quirks. After breaking up (or being dumped) you may wish with all your heart that you never met that person or could wipe them from your memory. This film explores what happens when that becomes a viable option. Jim Carrey was perfect. Not only did he nail the dramatic performance, but he also added nuances of humor that I think only he could have done. If Ed Norton had the role I have no doubt he would do a great performance of heartache and turmoil. But Carrey uses his (handsome but) everyday Joe looks and demeanor to convince the audience that he's the quiet, level-headed one in the relationship. Then he busts out doing some pretty hilarious stuff. Kate Winslet is magnificent- she would do any role justice. I have to say that the movie also has some pretty harrowing chase scenes- if you can call them that. They effectively engenders the fear, urgency and desperation that so many conventional car chase scenes try to create.
spoiler warning: Don't read further if you haven't seen it!!
No matter how difficult a relationship becomes- you could at least learn from the experience and accept it or move on and never put yourself in that situation again. For instance, Mary thought it best that she erase her affair with Howard from her memory. She didn't know that it only lead to heartache because he wouldn't leave his wife and because of the pain it caused his family. Unfortunately with her memory of it all cleared, she developed her school girl crush again and acted on it- again. Kaufman also conveys his "those-who-do-not-learn-from-history-are-doomed-to-repeat-it" message with a clever non-linear plot structure. Although we believe the first act is a portrayal of how Joel and Clementine first meet, we learn in the third act that this is actually how they reunite with all the exciting fury of a new relationship. After the movie returns to the events of the first act, it examines how Joel and Clementine deal with the discovery of their shared past and the issues they had with one another. Why should they try stay together when they know how much they can infuriate each other? Obviously to Kaufman, the desire to work out problems is stronger when the memory of their kindling love is not sullied by recent fights and mutual resentment.