The ultimate chick flick

Rating: 7/10 (25 February 2009)

I admit that Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was not my cup of tea and looking at voting history on IMDb and my friends own Facebook accounts, this is a film very popular with women. However I respect that it was a creative bit of film-making, showing that Michel Gondy was a skilled director and that Jim Carrey is more then a physical comedian.
The story of the film is focused on Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet), a couple who just broke up. When Joel tries to make up with Clementine he discovered that she had her memories of Joel erased and was with another man. This leaves Joel heartbroken and goes for the same process. However when he goes through with the process and the further back in his mind he goes he discoveries what and why he loved Clementine in the first place and he fights to try and keep hold of his memories. At the same time their are subplots involving the technicians who were conducting the process. One of them, Patrick (Elijah Wood) had entered into a relationship with Clementine and used all her memories of Joel to his advantage. Also two other technicians, Stan (Mark Ruffalo) and Mary (Kirsten Dunst) get stoned and party when doing the process at Joel's apartment and battle to try and erase Joel's memories whilst he was resisting.
The basic themes of the film are love and memory. Whilst the film at times is a little dark the message is simple and sweet, that love is every lasting and will conquest any obstacle. At well, it looks at how the human mind works and it is a surreal place. It shows how we all want to keep memories and would want to get rid of others and try to move on in our lives.
Michel Gondy paid very close attention to details. Throughout out the film when in Joel's mind you notice little things going, like the books when Clementine is working. There was also set-pieces that to be worked and with such complex ideas it took a director of real skill to handle it. Gondy and Charlie Kaufman both show that they have large imaginations to make a film like this and it was a special effort. There was a good cast in this film. Kate Winslett was particularly good and so was Tom Wilkinson (a fine actor). Jim Carrey showing that he is trying to move away from comedy roles. ESOTSM was his most serious role, but there was the odd moments of comedy. Dunst and Ruffalo were decent, Dunst could have been a little better later on. Wood seemed miscasted, he seem more wet rather then slimy.
7.5 out of 10.