...........Wow.
Minutes after finishing Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I was truly lost on how to comprehend it. I was truly blown away by the acting, the screenplay, the scope; it is a film which is hard to understand, but once you do, you'll love it.
The movie is about a couple, Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) and Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet) who believe they are meeting for the first time on a train to Montauk. Let me just put it simply: it is NOT the first time they've met. They've met before, they've been in love, and they broke up, and they both decided to go through a heartbreaking procedure, erasing their memories of each other. As Clementine meet each other again, she does get an eerie sense of deja vu; howeer, they both laugh it off.
Most of the film takes place in Joel's mind; during the course of the film, he begins to change his mind about changing his mind, and he tries to hide Clementine in parts of his conscious where she didn't exist before. These memories include embarrassing parts of his childhood, experiences of bullying, and places they've never been to before. While his memories have been erased of her, a profound part of his still creates his feelings for her, leaving him in a truly confused state.
Flashbacks show why they didn't work out as a couple in the first place. Clementine was an extrovert, showing that quality by being exceedingly impulsive and adventurous; Joel could not have been any different from her. Both Carrey's and Winslet's portrayals work wonderfully together, creating a dynamic that is impossible not to watch, and they have chemistry that is impossible not to admire. However, just like any real-life couple, they do have their petty arguments, and these leads to their break-up, sparking the events of the film.
In real time, Stan (Mark Ruffalo) and Patrick (Elijah Wood), the company's erasers, work to erase Joel's memories. They both get wasted, and struggle with Joel's unexpected resistance to the procedure. It doesn't help that they get wasted, and Stan ends up calling his girlfriend Mary (also their co-worker, played by Kirsten Dunst). Patrick on the other hand, leaves to visit his girlfriend, who as irony decides, is Clementine. Patrick, using his knowledge of Joel's memories, tries to seduce Clementine by imitating him. Joel, in his mind, struggles not to get Clementine erased, as they embark through various memories. This is the "science fiction" section of the movie, and it is easy to see why. Joel's resistance leads Stan to call his boss, Dr Howard Mierzwiak, (Tom Wilkinson), for help. Some unexpected plot twists and drama drive the rest of the film, which eventually leads Mary to leak the company's confidential files to all the clients whose memories have been erased, including Joel and Clementine.
They are both confused when they listen to these tapes; Joel is shocked and hurt at what Clementine said about him, (she felt as if he changed her into a person she despised), and Clementine feels the same way (Joel basically stopped short of calling her a slut). Regardless, they decide to give their relationship another go, and the film therefore ends on a happy note.
This film, is amazing, and it continues to astound me even as I write about it. Jim Carrey once again proves his dramatic acting chops, and he is excellent in a thankless role, showing depth and ability which I never would've expected, as I am accustomed to seeing his dumber comedies. Kate Winslet, in an Oscar-nominated performance, is also brilliant, masterfully showing why Joel (and the viewers, in the process), would fall in love with her performance. The most lauded aspect of the film is the screenplay, brilliantly written by the talent Charlie Kufman, who won a much deserved Oscar for it. The technical aspects also provide a smooth transition for the plot, and the direction by Michael Gondry also managed to dazzle me, as it avoids the head-ache inducing direction of Inception. While the film is a masterpiece, I wouldn't recommend it for everyone, as its philosophical themes require a certain maturity on the viewer's part.
Score: 5/5.
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