Life is worth living, memories intact

Rating: 10/10 (20 March 2004)

There is only one reason I vowed to see this movie immediately after release, and that is Michel Gondry. I'm sure I'm not ringing any bells with this name, but I can mention a hell of a lot of music videos this man has done, and you will have seen at least one. He's the genius behind the White Stripe's "Fell in Love With a Girl" video with the animated LEGOs. He also directed six of Bjork's videos (including "Human Behavior") and popular songs like the Foo Fighters's "Everlong." If there is anything one could say about his style is that he is a surrealist and a projector of dreams. This is why he is the perfect director for this script.
The film is about Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) running through his memories of his ex-girlfriend, Clementine (Kate Winslet) as they are disappearing forever. He has hired a doctor to erase every related memory connecting him to his troubled relationship, but finds out in the process that he might just have made a mistake.
This is possibly the best role Jim Carrey's played. As you're dragged through loads of memories, Carrey is an incredible, soft-spoken but amicable guide and doesn't make one fault in his performance. Kate Winslet, who is supposed to be the evil antagonist, does a fine job of convincing you that she is not what she is made out to be. The rest of the supporting cast (included in a related and moral-pounding side-story) provide a break in the action, their own morose tale relating to that of Joel's. The script has many great lines and writer Charlie Kaufman has written a story which pulls at the heartstrings so hard, they nearly snap... and this is all without making the movie [overly] "sappy."
This movie works wonders with this combination alone, but Michel Gondry's visuals are what keep you watching. Just like in his music videos he plays with the audience's heads, testing their believability and working the blink-factor very carefully. As Joel's mind is being played with, you see just how these tamperings affect his thoughts. memories flow together, the editing is done incredibly well for its twisted approach. This movie is not ordinary at all from the get-go, and Gondry leaves no opportunity untouched. See this movie, if anything, just to let it mess with your head.
Visuals grounded me to my seat, performances forced my jaw open, and the story ripped out my heart and shoved it back in. I can't wait to stop typing and see it again. I sound like "just a Michel Gondry fanboy", and I won't deny that I am, but I know when something remarkable has come my way. See this movie. Form your own opinions. Mine come with a smile and a tear. 10/10