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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 2004 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Michael Gondry
R, 108 min. (language, some drug use, sexual content) |
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Starring: Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Tom Wilkinson, Elijah Wood, Mark Ruffalo
Producers: Anthony Bregman, Steve Golin
Screenplay: Charlie Kaufman
Cinematography: Ellen Kuras
Distributor: Focus Features
Released: 3.19.04 (Wide) |
Rating:
  (out of ) |
It's now become quite obvious that screenwriter Charlie Kaufman is one of the most creative, intelligent, and
wildly unpredictable writers in cinema history. One look at his now incredible resume, which includes Being John Malkovich
(one of the best films of the last decade), Adaptation, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, and Human Nature, reveals
a man who is fascinated with the human mind, specifically how our memories and experiences shape our lives.
His scripts are a hullucinatory extravaganza of human imagination, populated with the bizarre and the sublime, always
challenging and thought-provoking - Kaufman dares the viewer to keep up with his ideas and those who persevere are
rewarded with an exhilarating motion picture experience unlike any other. His latest dizzying creation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,
is directed by Michael Gondry, whose first film (Human Nature) prepared him for the work of his career. Whether
or not his background in music video provided the inspiration for his direction here is unclear, but what he's accomplished
in just his second film is startling. Eternal Sunshine is one of those films that comes out of nowhere to take moviegoers
by storm, and with a talented cast and a zany storyline, the film reaches a level of sophistication rarely reached by the
romantic comedy.
Maybe the strength of the film comes in the adult-oriented approach to relationships. Kaufman eschews the pedestrian
confines of immature, simpleton love that dominates the teenage movie demographic; instead he writes his characters as
adults for adults, defining intimacy as ecstasy and agony but not necessarily in that order. The characters that inhabit
the film are willing to endure almost anything in return for companionship, yet they also realize that the ever-elusive nature
of human connection is not always tenable. And after all the pain, many would admit, as one of the characters here does,
that it's all worth it in order to experience those perfect moments of contentment and happiness that highlight any relationship.
That more than any other insight best represents what Eternal Sunshine is about.
The storyline centers on the intriguing idea of wiping a person's memory clean of any unpleasant event or relationship that haunts
one's soul indefinitely. Such a possibility exists for Joel Barish (Jim Carrey in his finest performance) and Clementine
Kruczynski (Kate Winslet), two lovers whose tumultuous relationship is too much to endure in memory. When Joel learns
of Clementine's procedure, which is performed by the somewhat shady Lacuna enterprise, he is all to eager to sign up
himself. Lacuna's creator, Dr. Howard Mierzqwiak (Tom Wilkinson), and his team, Stan (Mark Ruffalo), Patrick (Elijah Wood),
and Mary (Kirsten Dunst), outline the process of memory erasure and arrive at Joel's home to carry out his wishes.
The film jumps from Joel's chaotic mind, which is undergoing the procedure, to reality, where another storyline is unfolding
involving the Lacuna team. Meanwhile, Clementine's newfound life seems to perfect, as if something isn't quite right.
Most of the film takes place in Joel's resistant memories. His character seems alive and well in his mind and when he
realizes that he in fact doesn't want the procedure to continue, he must devise ways to "hide" Clementine from the Lacuna
team, which is slowly wiping his memory clean of her existence. This leads to the film's most creative sequences, as both
Joel and Clementine interact in Joel's various memories of her during their relationship. Joel finds a way to delay the
inevitable by placing Clementine in childhood memories that he hasn't informed Lacuna about beforehand (the procedure
involves sharing all memories of the subject to be erased through pictures and mementos to be thorough). These strange
but never dull scenes provide the impetus for Kaufman's complex commentary on human interaction and vulnerability and
the need for acceptance. Eternal Sunshine is structured so that reality and the subconscious eventually meet in a way
that supports the notion that the eerie feeling of déjà vu may not be coincidence after all.
The film also touches on the importance of memory, even if it isn't a pleasant one. Memories shape our lives because they
recall experiences that teach and mold our character to form a personality that defines who we are. Consider the possibility
of erasing certain experiences that might actually make us better, more cautious individuals. It stands to reason that
expunging those memories could lead to even more pronounced, painful experiences because our past has not taught us
to avoid them. Kaufman also hints at the possibility that our memories and subconscious lives are more valuable than
reality itself, because people tend to meditate on the pleasant memories of past relationships rather than dwell on the ugliness
that resulted in their eventual end.
At the heart of the film is the chemistry between Carrey and Winslet, which is surprisingly strong for such disparate
actors. It's like over-the-top comedy meets period piece starlet, a combination that works remarkably well. Their performances
are noteworthy because without the malleability of their stylistic choices in acting the film wouldn't work. For Carrey,
this is the culmination of a career that has always hinted at dramatic talent but never quite realized for one reason or
another. He's never been better; his usual histrionics are replaced with introspection and a deliberately subdued persona,
leading to his most honest, heartfelt work. His personality meshes well with Kaufman's eccentric characters, and he's finally
able to find the perfect outlet for his talents. Winslet matches his every move with a very difficult character to play - she
must lend the perfect balance of free-spirited spontaneity with an anchored need for reassurance. Watching these
characters find each other amidst the chaos is easy to root for.
The supporting cast, especially Wilkinson, provide another interesting subplot between their characters. While
Ruffalo, a memory-wipe technician, and Wood, who uses his position to seduce Clementine, converse about their
love lives, Dunst (as Wilkinson's receptionist) offers a counterpoint to Joel's conflicted mind as she secretly pines for
her Wilkinson's affections. They round out Kaufman's script with aplomb.
Gondry and his cinematographer, Ellen Kuras, are provided ample opportunity to experiment with set pieces and lighting
fixtures that illustrate the creative aspects of Kaufman's vision. Most of the fertile work is found in Joel's mind, but there
are also scenes in reality that match the cold, detached nature of characters that doubt the possibility of true love. And
Eternal Sunshine offers the kind of unmatched experience that encourages people to persevere in the face of
ongoing disappointments, because you never know when the next Joel or Clementine will come along. Kaufman seems
to indicate as much, and his film espouses such a notion in its wonderful opening sequence, which communicates the
theory that no matter how hard a person tries to escape fate, it has a way of finding you.
© 2004 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
| Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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