Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Rating: 9/10 (8 October 2019)

Directed by Michel Gondry. Starring Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood, Tom Wilkinson, David Cross, Jane Adams, Thomas Jay Ryan. (R)
Upon learning that his ex-girlfriend (Winslet) underwent a procedure to have him erased from her memories, Carrey requests that they do the same with his memories of her, but starts feeling regrets mid-removal. Original, highly inventive script (netting screenwriter Charlie Kaufman an Academy Award) is dense, dizzying, and full of clever twists and revelations, jumping back and forth not just between time periods but also between reality and imagination. Character development is limited, and its notions of love seem focused on memories of events/moments more than the deeper connections and contemplations identified in societal definitions of "heart" and "soul" (and its fascinations more invested in the translation of mental information than the capricious nature of emotional dominance), but so be it. Gondry matches these ideas with freewheeling visual ingenuity, Ellen Kuras' restless camera catching countless shots that will be remembered for years to come. Carrey and Winslet are both cast against type but deliver unforgettable performances, backed by a strong supporting cast. Whether it's judged as sublimely romantic or bitterly anti-romantic depends more on the eye of the beholder than the creative minds at work here.
88/100