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Despite countless viewing, this beautiful and moving love story by Michel Gondry always manages to bring a tear to my eye. What if we could erase things from our memory? Would we? This film digs deep into our most intimate memories and makes us realize how important they really are. it starts off with a somewhat confused Joel Barish, wonderfully portrayed by Jim Carey in what i believe is his best role, his sudden and unexplainable spontaneity leads him to meet an experimental woman named Clementine Kruczynski, played perfectly by Kate Winslet.
Not soon after we realize that not all is as it seems. Flash back a few days prior, we find that not only has Joel already known Clementine, but that they were in a long term relationship. Once Joel has become aware that Clem has had him erased from her memory, he decides to have the procedure done as well. While preparing for the procedure, Dr. Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson) states, “Technically speaking, the procedure is brain damage, on par with a night of heavy drinking, nothing you’ll miss.”
This implying that the memories we’ve made can be simply erased without risks or emotional repercussions. As we sort through Joel’s more recent memories, we witness the decline of the relationship he and Clementine shared. Most people can relate the feeling of a harsh break up and wanting to forget. These memories are the ones we do wish we could erase. But as we sort further and deeper, we begin to realize, as Joel does, that there is always good memories as well as bad. We see him travel past the fights and quarrels, until we get to their intimate moments. We as the audience begin to notice how in love they truly were, and perhaps how truly in love we might, or might have been with someone we would erase.
Through desperate attempts to hide a memory of Clementine, as to remember her in the morning, through moments in which Joel wishes he could have acted differently, we are forced to think of those times in our lives. Gondry is having us re-evaluate the choices we’ve made, and perhaps helping us make a change before it becomes to late. As the last memory is erased, we back at the beginning with a much more clear understanding of what is happening. We watch them meet again in the same place as they first did 2 years prior. Are somethings meant to be? If given another chance, could things be different? The movie leaves you with an optimistic and positive outlook, as there is always a chance to change things, or if not, at least enjoy the ride for there are always beautiful memories to be made.

when re-watching this film, prior knowledge of the editing scheme made the contiguous setting of that temporal shift (about 10-20 minutes in) very fitting with the lucid dream that this film describes. gondry is officially responsible for rendering a lucid and contemplative character from the spontaneously combusting professional cloth that is jim carey. the austerity of this feat cannot be overstated given the fact that this director is known by me for petty un-amusing stop-animation of his shoes and living with his mother. oh yeah, and the ensemble routine gets pretty good too.

The true definition in the pain love brings. You see how much happiness it can give a person, but then what it can do to you once it’s gone. It’s such a memorizing movie, the dream sequences are so in depth and even haunting at times. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet were priceless together, you’re able to completely buy into their relationship. The downfall is also incredibly accurate, showing how weird people can be. Sometimes things just don’t work out, there’s no reason or logic behind it. That’s what makes this movie different from every other romantic comedy around.

A film about the relationships of Americans thanks to a Frenchman, with a Canadian and a Britain in the leading roles. Typically romanticized, and of course its set in New York (as always with these kind of films). The sentimentality is made hip by the redundant swearing and token pot smoking (which was oh so necessary for deeper meaning of the story?). If you’re looking for something ramblingly creative, that aimlessly putters along with its fantastical notion of human beings lacking will power and must instead resort to some kind of machine to manipulate them, which all in all, ends up a happy, quirky sort of romantic comedy, then this film is for you. However, if you prefer to take your Nietzsche references without sugar coated pseudoscience, then you will most likely be slightly disappointed. The acting is acceptable, but the screenplay is such trite and painfully cliche but is cleverly hidden in the creative editing.

The aesthetic of the wandering, lost late twenty something is achieved perfectly, but then again, that isn’t much of an artistic feat. Overall, the best thing about the film is its ability to actually make you feel slightly interested in the rather underdeveloped characters through the use of the timing and sense of actually getting somewhere, when in fact, the film ends where it begins and the semi-uncertain relationship resumes itself, which was very predictable. The colors and cinematography are the best thing this film has to offer.

Two stars, one extra for the mention of Alexander Pope, which thankfully this film knows is so much more insightful than it will ever be.

Menang dari segala sisi. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind adalah salah satu film terbaik abad ini. Dari sisi cerita, it’s an original recipe. Bayangkan kalo ada perusahaan yang bisa menghapus memori buruk dari pikiran kita. Will you go for it? Screenplay ditulis oleh Charlie Kauffman, yang memang diakui sebagai rajanya ide-ide gila dan orisinal dalam film (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich, Be Kind Rewind). Dari sisi cast, no comment! Perfect! Bahkan Jim Carrey yang biasanya “plastik” banget bisa berubah serius… dan believable. Cuma… jangan harap bakalan dapat dengan mudah menikmati film ini. Setting waktu film ini udah diobrak-abrik. Awal ada di tengah, akhir ada di awal, tengah ada di akhir. Tetapi dengan sedikit usaha, film ini akan menjadi salah satu film paling berkesan yang pernah ditonton. Satisfaction guaranteed!

Rate: 5 / 5

After finally watching this remarkable film I must say that I was blown away. This movie is deep and passionate, dealing with complex themes involving love. This movie is gripping and affectionate, appealing to the viewer through some fantastic imagery and an original story. The best part of this movie is the story, as it is so different than any other movies I have seen, dealing with the main character Joel, played by Jim Carrey, getting the memories of his relationship with his girlfriend Clementine, played by Kate Winslet, erased so that he doesn’t have to deal with the living without her.

The casting in this film is excellent, every character perfectly fitting into their role. When I saw Jim Carrey in the starring role, I assumed that the movie would instantly use him as a means for some form of comedic relief. However this was not the case, and the movie proves that Carrey is an amazingly talented actor that can play serious roles. Kate Winslet is wonderful as the free spirited Clementine, and her character’s degradation into an unhappy zombie is depressing and believable. Even the supporting actors, such as Elijah Wood and Kirsten Dunst, are perfectly cast and play their roles with passion. Elijah Wood is great as the slimy memory-eraser that tries to get with Winslet after her memory is erased, and Kirsten Dunst plays the most memorable role in her career as an obsessive and seductive receptionist.

The sets of the film are absolutely great, perfectly capturing the mood of the scene and providing a deeper understanding of the main characters’ relationship, as the story goes backwards through their relationship to show the audience how they eventually reached their destination. The setting begins to disappear as Joel relives his experiences, which is a very powerful effect as he tries to hold on to the last few pieces of Clementine.

The musical score is engaging and important to telling the story, as it evokes emotion and passion from every scene. The editing isn’t too special, yet the film does an excellent job of making sure the story flows properly and at an interesting pace. The camerawork is trippy at parts, utilizing some shakycam, however not becoming too overused or obtrusive.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a powerful and beautiful movie. I would really urge anyone to see it, as the movie is very remarkable. The film combines some excellent storytelling and camerawork with an engaging and original plot to create a perfect film. This movie hasn’t influenced cinema or changed the way movies are made, but it is a perfect film, nothing wrong with it that I could see.

Rating 10/10

Jim Carrey’s character, Joel, is Michel Gondry, Charlie Kauffman, Holden Caulfield and me when I was 14 all rolled into one. Kate Winslet’s character, Clementine, is all the girls at the ska show I was trying to finger bang when i was 14 all rolled into one. Imaginative cinematography and tasteful editing give a one-two punch in this movies fight to call itself art house. Unfortunately, however, Eternal Sunshine is to good cinema what Papa John’s is to good pizza.

This is my favorite movie of all time. I think its absolute absurdity that Kate Winslet didn’t win the Oscar for the role of Clementine. She is at her absolute best balancing Clementine’s bipolar moodiness with her fun loving side, and spontanaity. You just fall in love with her, flaws and all. This film is funny, touching, loving, crazy, mysterious, dramatic, and romantic all in one. It’s a cluster fuck of human emtion in the best possible way. Some of the words out of the character’s mouths feel so real, and wether past or present in Joel’s head or in his living room as he slumbers, you witness human relationships like I’ve seldom seen them on film before. All the mistakes we make, all the unexplainable impulses, all the silly things we do behind closed doors! It makes you rethink your own less than perfect memories, as I’m sure we’ve all thought we wished we could erase something unpleasant, and it makes you realize how love happens, how life happens, and how important each second of our meanignless existence really is! Top notch all around, and an amazing accomplishment in film making as well as a masterpiece in general.

A atuação de Kate Winslet está perfeita. Sua Clementine será difícil de se esquecer. Merecia ter ganhado o Oscar por essa intepretação maravilhosa.
A atuação de Jim Carrey faz com que a gente se esqueça daqueles personagens engraçados e caricatos que ele intepretou no passado. Uma pena não ter sido pelo menos indicado ao Oscar. Por enquanto brilho eterno de uma mente sem lembranças, é um de seus melhores trabalhos.

Has any American movie opened me up to more possibilities, more joy and wonder, and touched and grown on me more than Eternal Sunshine? Not since Kubrick’s 2001 or Altman’s Nashville there hasn’t. Charlie Kaufman deserves an Oscar and a Pulitzer for his script, Gondry should get all the acclaim he deserves and so does Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet for transcending what they’ve done before—Carrey leaving his crazed shtick for more philosophical, personal and metaphysical planes, tackling identity and love with true, distinct artistry, and Kate Winslet should be applauded for taking on her tragicomic role with all the confrontingly, near-confessionally loving passion of any great artist, performance or otherwise. It’s like a personal journey of fading, foggy, warping memory, self-discovery and a lesson in absolute love and life from an indie-filmmaking Dali—humble, humbling, quietly, calmly flying through space, cosmos and history.

(Originally written August 4, 2006)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a mind-boggling film that creatively shows how easy it is to get tired of a relationship. The characters want to forget the hurtful memories, but doing so would also involve sacrificing the precious moments we can’t let go of. Director Michel Gondry has created a film that emulates the dream-like world of our inner thoughts and memories. This is a film edited to perfection and feels like a severe case of deja vu. This is not only because of the way the film uses certain images repeatedly but because of the way that the audience is able to recall experiences from his or her own life and understand exactly what the characters are feeling.

In this film, Jim Carrey’s character has decided to erase his ex-girlfriend from his memory, never having to deal with the pain again. Although one would expect a sense of refreshment, there is the emptiness and regret that seeks the warm memories. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind captures these seemingly conflicting emotions and creates a tragic, yet redeeming, vision of separation from a loved one, even one with the most bothersome of flaws. Jim Carrey is a man of great talent not found with most comedic actors, bringing out the humanity of his character in a way that the audience can relate to.

The script is crafted so meticulously, paying close attention to detail. It astounds me that a human mind was capable of artistically being able to display their emotions through a screenplay, and that another person was able to take those emotions and translate them into visuals that memorize the viewer and confront him or her with difficult questions about relationships and memory.

I first saw this film with an ex shortly after we had broken up. It hit so close to home, tapping straight into that awkward place between wanting to turn back the clock while also wishing for all the memories to vanish. We were reduced to tears. It was years before I was able to bring myself to watch this again. Gondry’s wide-eyed optimism and profound affection for people shines through in everything he makes. His is a unique, joyful vision and I’m always elated when he has something new to share.

Do you remember the queen’s wager in Shakespeare in Love? I don’t remember the phrasing, but she says that no one can ever write a play about love because they either make it smutty or sickly sweet; they can never make it true. I feel like this film is the most true about love. It was awful and painful and funny and warm and it made my wife and I fall in love with each other all over again as she cried in the parking lot on our way out of the theater.

Definitely one of my favorite films about love. This movie puts you in such a unique, different mindframe that will have you thinking about loved ones (both past and present) along with how past memories (about love and other things) affect our future interactions with the world. Top all of that off with incredible visuals from Michel gondry, which further cemented his status as the tour-de-force uniquely visual director of our time. The script is perfect as well and actually manages to keep up with the characters and visuals displayed. It’s a bittersweet movie that, if you open your heart and mind to it, will linger for a long long time.

Kate Winslet as Clementine was full of life, pulls off a remarkably effervescent performance which I fell in love with eventually like Joel Barish played by Jim Carey. He and she are exact opposites in terms that she is spontaneous/impulsive and wild while he is shy/introvert and boring, both balancing each other and thus proving science real – ‘unlike poles attract/like poles repel’. I think thats the way nature tries to strike a balance. ESOTSM is unoubtedly, the most beautifully romantic movie