Surreal relationship drama that moves both heart and imagination

Rating: 10/10 (28 December 2008)

Films that intentionally blur the lines between the real and the imagined, that completely defy our most basic sense of narrative structure can often be off-putting and regarded as strange. Some people, no matter how outside-the-box their thinking, will always see "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" this way. The title alone is a red flag for conservative movie-goers. But the truth is that this film is not abstract merely for the sake of style, but it is abstract filmmaking with a clear purpose. Writer Charlie Kaufman and director Michel Gondry make that purpose accessible the entire film and the result is a unique and special film about the connection between memory and relationship.
"Eternal Sunshine" is about the relationship between Joel (Carrey) and Clementine (Winslet), both of whom have decided to undergo a procedure that would completely erase the other from his/her memory. The majority of plot follows Joel as he seeks out the services of Lacuna, a practice run by a doctor (Wilkinson) and his staff (Ruffalo, Dunst and Wood). As they erase his memory overnight, the film plunges into a progression from most recent to earliest of all of Joel's memories involving Clementine. Things are complicated when a mostly unconscious Joel decides, while in his own memories, that he has changed his mind.
As Joel goes through his memories, things disappear, his environment magically shifts from one to the next. Some of this is digital effects, but much of it is nifty camera-work. It's hard to understand exactly what's going on, but since the action takes place in Joel's mind, what happens is a mix of Joel's actual memory and his mind's interaction with it. It's a brilliant and surreal trip through someone's mind that exposes more and more about this relationship as it goes, also asking questions along the way about whether erasing someone is ultimately an effective way of dealing with loss.
It's a pleasure seeing Carrey take on dramatic role successfully. He seems to be able to channel his goofy energy into the neurotic and self-conscious Joel. Winslet proves her own versatility in taking on Clem, who is a free-spirited fireball, not her traditional dramatic performance, but she really demands your attention. Wilkinson and Dunst also prove to be excellent dramatic side-fodder to illustrate another perspective into the memory erasing concept.
Excellent, realistic character portrayal combined with surreal visual drama create a concept of love that while abstract, manages to identify with us because there's a wild, imaginative side of love that only exists in our individual minds. Through the entire film, Gondry makes sure we see the very high and very low points of a relationship and it creates a feeling that Joel and Clementine are meant for each other despite obvious proof that they are somewhat incompatible. This helps further push the film's themes.
While "Eternal Sunshine" can get confusing and test one's limits at times, a concentrated viewing will show how honest and truthful this film is to not only human relationships, but to the human psyche.