Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)


Director: Michel Gondry
Stars: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Tom Wilkinson
Runtime: 108 minutes

Synopsis: When their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories.

Performances: 10/10
Screenplay: 9/10
Editing: 10/10
Cinematography: 8/10
Score/Soundtrack: 8/10

Verdict: The film starts like every other regular romance tale. A shy Joel, played by Jim Carrey, meets the eccentric Clementine, portrayed by Kate Winslet, on a deserted beach on Valentine's day. They bond quickly and their relationship takes an intimate turn almost instantly. The chemistry between the two leads was undeniable, as if they've known each other for years.
It's only about 20 minutes in that we're told that this story was not going to be the fairy-tale we were promised.  We see Joel sobbing in his car, as the credits start appearing indicating that what we witnessed was nothing but a prologue. In the alternate universe the movie is set in, people can undergo medical procedures to erase certain unwanted memories, and this is the concept Charlie Kaufman and Michel Gondry chose to explore. Joel can't take the emotional pain of the breakup anymore, and decides to take the seemingly easy route and clear Clementine from his memories. And it's that very concept that makes the rest of the movie such a unique and unforgettable as it's mostly taking place inside the patient's head. Through incredibly smart transitions, beautiful song choices, and powerhouse performances, we start witnessing the memories of the relationship between the two characters fade away as the film makes us go through a roller-coaster of emotions only slightly tainted by a few irregularities in the complex logic used to develop that fictional technology.
Whenever Charlie Kaufman's name is associated to a project, it goes without saying that said project will have a meticulously written and original concept script holding it together. "Eternal Sunshine" is no exception to that unwritten rule, and in fact is probably the writer's most accessible movie to date. I have yet to meet a single person who haven't fallen in love with it, so if you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and check it out!

FINAL GRADE: 9/10

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