a subtle and intimate lovestory, filmed in a back-to-basics style

Rating: 9/10 (15 September 2004)

This is a subtle and intimate lovestory, Carrey and Winslet play the odd-couple very convincingly. Carrey plays Joel, timid and a bit of a shut-in, Winslet's character Celementine is impulsive and outgoing. The relationship goes sour, and Joel goes to a company that erases all his memories of Celementine. Large part of the movie plays inside Joel's head as his memories of his girlfriend are erased. Special effects are used sparingly but effective. Joel forgetting things is represented by words disappearing from books, colours fading, or simply by gradually turning off the lights in a room.
The genre notation "comedy" might give some people the wrong expectations, as this is not a typical Jim Carrey comedy movie. But don't let that stop you from seeing it, because so far, this is the best movie this year. Forget comicbook hero's, planet-sized explosions and $10.000.000 worth of CGI, this movie is the complete opposite. In fact, the bizarre script, the simple way of filming, the acting etc. make this movie a one-of-a-kind. Which is a shame i guess, because there should be more movies as good as this one.
So far, the best movie this year. Highly recommended.