You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll lose your mind

Rating: 10/10 (16 February 2005)

"...How happy is the blameless vestal's lot! The world forgetting, by the world forgot. Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind! Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;..."
From Stanza fourteen of "Eloisa To Abelard" by Alexander Pope (1717).
Scintillating. Surreal. Simplistic. Spectacular. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was one the best films I've seen in some time. Penned by Charlie Kaufman ("Adaptation") and based on a story that Kaufman wrote with newcomer Pierre Bismuth and director Michel Gondry ("Human Nature"  also a Kaufman story), "...Sunshine..." has the odd effect of warming the heart of the coldest prosaic cynic and convincing them that romance is not only in your head but in all the world around you. No matter what drastic measures you take to clear your mind, you will always find the one you love  for better or worse. This is the odd part: This film realistically covers the "worse". It is at times as funny and as charming as a proto-typical, teen-friendly romantic comedy, but at its core is this heavy, adult-relationship, surrealistic drama. Just thirty seconds from a laugh-out-loud segment you could be saying to yourself, "Aww...that's sweet...", and thirty seconds after that be bawling your eyes out with you fists clenched tight screaming silently inside your head "Why, God, WHY?!" Or that could just be me. Regardless, the movie's passion and intensity alone is worth the price of admission. Yet there so many more reasons to see it. Using old-school techniques, archaic tricks and outdated equipment (whether out of love for traditional film-making or due to minimal financial resources is unclear), Gondry creates a visually beautiful film that tells a beautiful story. How many times have you seen a great story turned into a mediocre movie because of over-stylized production or flashy (and often unnecessary) special effects? The filmmaker's devotion to simplicity keeps the audience's focus where it should be: On Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey. These actors are two of the most famous and attractive people on the planet, yet they are so good are transforming into characters that ten minutes into the picture you forget that you are watching Superstars and truly believe that Clementine and Joel are ordinary people sharing an extraordinary bond. I'm sorry, I refuse to give anymore away than I already have and I can't write anymore about this unique, brilliant and truly artistic film without wanting to tell you every little detail about it, scene by scene, quoting line by line. I must show some restraint. What I can tell you, however, is that it overwhelmingly affected me. It is one of those rare moments in cinema where you realize you are witnessing something grand. In 60 years will it be considered the "Citizen Kane" of its day? Maybe not. But it might be the "Casablanca". Oh! If only Ilsa had whispered to Rick "...Meet me in Montauk..."