Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Review
by Homer Yen (homer_yen AT yahoo DOT com)March 29th, 2004
"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" - Quite the Head Trip
by Homer Yen
(c) 2004
Sometimes, an experience can be so traumatic that you would be better off having it erased from your mind. That could be said of Joel (Bruce Carrey). At first, his budding relationship with Clementine (Kate Winslet) is the stuff of poetry and song. But not all relationships last, and when two people who seemed destined to be with each other have trouble finding common ground, the fairy tale can come to a painful halt.
"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is a beautifully told story about love, the memories that it creates, and how we are shaped as a result of our experiences. The opening is a nicely envisioned Meet Cute sequence as we are introduced to Joel. He's tepid, vulnerable, and like so many shy men, afraid to strike up a conversation with an attractive girl. We find him strolling along a deserted beach on a cold winter day. There is no logical reason for him to be there. Perhaps destiny has directed him to this location. And as fate would have it, also walking along the beach is the perky Clementine. She's erotic, open-minded to new experiences, and also vulnerable. They're a match, simultaneously perfect yet imperfect for each other.
But then we jump to another part of the movie after the imperfections have festered into personal pain and suffering for Joel. We see him sitting at a doctor's office contemplating an operation. "Is there any danger of brain damage?" asks our lovelorn everyman. The avuncular Dr. Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson) responds in his most kindly voice, "Well, technically speaking, the procedure is brain damage." The operation that Joel contemplates will permanently delete all images and memories of Clementine. Joel believes that this will give him a fresh start. But the need for connection and belonging are strong, and realizes too late that he has made a terrible mistake.
"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is also about Joel's desire to hold on. Here, Jim Carrey puts forth an effort resembling that which brought him much accolade in "The Truman Show." He tones down the physical comedy to give us a lonely soul who would rather cling on to a fragment of a memory rather than to none at all. He is unable to stop the procedure. All he can do is run in and out of the corners of his mind to hide. All the while, he is reminiscing about his days with Clementine.
What you'll happily discover is that this film is a real head-trip. Penned by Charlie Kaufman, who also gave us "Being John Malkovich," his goal is to have us think outside the box in terms of reality. The film is a labyrinth as the timeline moves freely back and forth. Recent memories are clearer, although more distressing. Earlier memories, such as when they first meet, are fuzzier although it has a sunnier feel. The film is like a dreamscape as sequences sometimes feel cohesive and sometimes fragmented. But the emotional center remains throughout, which is what makes this film touching. There's a lesson learned. There's a psychology at work. There's a fresh perspective being offered on a familiar genre. And you come away with a new appreciation of how movies are told and how your memories are sacred.
Grade: B+
S: 1 out of 3
L: 2 out of 3
V: 0 out of 3
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