Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
Image From IMDB
A different kind of Sci-Fi, and a movie I absolutely adore. I’ve got some strange looks over the years for saying Eternal Sunshine is one of my favourite romantic movies, but I stand by that statement. Yes it’s bleak at times, and the romance is soured with their distain for each other, but I love it, and still root for them.
Eternal Sunshine is about a couple at the painful end of their relationship. To numb the pain Clementine decides to get a procedure done that will make her forget Joel. When he learns about what’s happened, he tries to undergo the same procedure himself, wiping their years together from his memory. But, how can you forget someone so important and influential within your life?
It’s a beautiful concept for a movie. A perfect allegory of both the love and pain a meaningful relationship can bring. Both leads are superb with Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet both doing some of their best work, and they’re well supported by everyone else involved––including a super creepy Elijah Woods.
The film explains some of the theory of the science, but mostly relies more heavily on the emotional impact of what’s happening. The narrative jumps around all over the place like memories tend to do. The film has so much heart that it’s literally about that. You can wipe the mind, but can you change the heart?
The scenes where Joel is trying to hide Clem in order to keep her are as magical as they are funny. Sweet as they are devastating. The film constantly has this balance of melancholy and beautiful. You’re lost in the emotions of the two characters through-out, rooting for them, while learning why they didn’t work and maybe shouldn’t be together.
The script is stunning, one of the absolute best i’ve ever read and seen transferred to the screen. Charlie Kaufman always deliveries, but in my mind this is his best work. The direction is clear and inventive throughout, and as mentioned, everyone’s performance is fantastic.
I fell in love with this movie the first time I saw it. I can still remember siting in the cinema and being blown away by its beauty and honesty. It had a profound effect on me, and that’s not something I say often. I think it's a movie that’s only grown better over time, and an absolute masterpiece. The sci-fi aspect within it may be gentle, but i’ll take any excuse to talk about this wonderful film and recommend it to everyone.
