A Memorable Story

Rating: 9/10 (15 August 2005)

This movie is a love story, except if you go in to see it, it's anything but ordinary. First things first, you must let your imagination roam a little bit. The whole process of being able to actually be inside your own mind as you slowly watch the love of your life being erased in front of your very eyes can be a bit much if you don't use your imagination. Best thing to do, put yourself, whether your male or female, in Joel Barrish's (Jim Carey) shoes.
Now, the basics of the story are very relatable. Man and woman meet, opposites attract, and they fall in love. However, as with all things in life, they come to part ways. Joel discovers rather quickly, after running into his former girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet), that she has had him permanently erased from her memory. Confused, Joel seeks out the doctor who performed the procedure, and in a fit of anger, possibly even revenge, he decides to have the procedure done himself. However, as the procedure takes place, as he moves from the last memory of Clementine (a wonderful scene mixed with harsh feelings and dialogue) backwards to the memories of when the relationship was at it's peak, he begins to realize that in his heart he still loves her. Joel panics, and begins to think of every way possible to change the track of his memories so that Clementine will still be there in his mind whenever he wakes up. Fate, nonetheless, does not conspire with him, and he finally comes to the last (or in this case, the first) memory; the one where he and Clementine first met. The following scene is absolutely wonderful. This is where it all comes together...everything that has happened in the story, with the addition of the strong feeling's Joel has for Clementine (and in Clementine's case, the feelings she may still have for Joel), it all climax's in this beautiful scene, highlighted with:
Clementine: This is it, Joel...it's going to be gone soon. Joel: I know... Clementine: What should we do? Joel: (pauses) Enjoy it.
This scene comes crashing down and gave me such a great case of emotion, because Joel, even after trying to hide from having Clementine erased learns this simple lesson: Life is fleeting. Life, and the people you meet and love, is a gift. And even though he knows he is about to lose her forever, instead of trying to run and hide, he swallows those feelings back, and tells himself to 'enjoy it,' a truly mature and engaging line that will bring chills down your spine. And the final scene in the house, brings the climax to it's end in a truly remarkable way. As they say their final goodbyes inside an old house on the beach, as Joel's character let's out every single emotion and thought inside of his heart out. Not only is the dialogue amazing, but the image of that memory being erased and the fact that he is losing her is amplified by the fact that as the scene slowly progresses, the house begins to fall apart. You begin to feel such an apathy for these characters, and maybe it's because we've all been there before. Everyone of us. This story is so relatable it forces you to become immersed in the story's emotions and characters. The writing and directing simply phenomenal, my hat's go off to Micheal Gondry.
The only reason I give this movie a nine of ten is the ending. I won't give away too many details, because the ending makes the story. I would've changed the ending slightly and not have gone into the ending like the story portrays. However, my opinions aside, if you haven't seen this movie, you must. It may be confusing at first, but you'll get it. Watch it again if you need to. But if after watching this movie, if you don't re-examine certain aspects of your life, if this movie doesn't make you love your significant other ever more or make you pine for the lost love of your life, then unfortunately you didn't get the point. Watch it one more time. For those of you who do feel as if you have watched an eye-opener, take life by the horns and 'enjoy it.'