Jim Carrey's finest dramatic performance. He portrays Joel, a depressed and lonely man, who meets Clementine. She is a wondrous light in his mundane life of work and not work. Carrey is the ultimate empathetic every man in this film. You want him to be happy. Kate Winslet gives her famous "manic pixie dream girl" performance as Clementine. I found her at first hyperactive, then so very human as it's slowly apparent how insecure she is with her own life. Their chemistry seems off at first, but you realize they are perfect strangers in this lovely movie.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind captures our feelings in a moment. Charlie Kaufman's script is an appeal to human emotion and empathy as any film I have ever been lucky enough to have seen. How precious are memories? Do they define us? Is our life just a sequencing of memories? I believe Eternal Sunshine asks that we cherish our memories as they are the remembrances of what we have lived. Remember your love and appreciate what you have. Make memories.
Aside from the main themes and morale of the movie, the supporting cast is incredibly strong and subtle. Elijiah Wood is an obsessed man derailing the lives of those around him. He is as creepy as he was in Sin City, but with a subtle flair of subdued insanity. Mark Ruffalo is hilarious and goofy as the lovable mad scientist. I used to find his so ordinary in his acting, but here, Ruffalo is so relatable and interesting. He's a joy to watch and you really feel for him by the end. Tom Wilkinson is the calm and well mannered genius who profession is the erasure of dreams. I think it's evident by the end that his character is trying to escape his emotions just as much as any of his patients. Finally, my personal favorite, Kirsten Dunst as Mary. She is so charming and sweet. She plays the fun loving Mary, whose secret changes the way people feel forever. Dunst plays the profoundly sad girl you love so very well. She is enchanting on screen and you cannot help, but sympathize for her character. Mary's story is perhaps the saddest of all the character arcs in Eternal Sunshine.
It must be noted, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind has, perhaps, the most astoundingly seamless film edits of any movie ever. Every time a scene shifts or transitions from scene to scene or to another location, you are stunned by the forced perspectives and hard cuts. It's so well done and obvious that each cut, angle, and frame is purposefully edited to perfection. This movie is visual euphoria. Absolutely immaculate editing, gorgeous cinematography, and superbly refined directing from Michel Gondry. Gondry's direction marks a true show of film making prowess. The deliberate manipulation of the audience through his magical framework is awe inspiring.
I hope you watch Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I think it will make for a pleasant memory.