Kate Winslet is also a revelation - she crafts Clementine into a manic, self-sufficient woman that is adorable when her relationship with Joel is going well and starkly bitter when it's not. Moments of humor are sweet and authentic, but never hammy or over-the-top as you might expect from Carrey. Jim Carrey pulls off the dramatic role of his lifetime and really exercises his naturalism in the shy but explosive Joel. A lot of attention was also given to the excellent performances. It won an Academy Award in 2005 for Best Original Screenplay and racked up several acting and directing honors from the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild, and the BAFTAs. Those with a keen mind, an attention to detail, and the desire to unravel character arc mysteries are almost sure to fall in love with 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.'Ĭritics adored the film, showering it with praise upon its theatrical release, with some even listing it as their top pick among 2004 releases. Patience is required as the linear timeline of his memories eventually comes into focus (here's a hint - keep your eye on Clementine's hair color to track the timeline of their relationship history). Sound complicated? While it becomes slightly difficult to follow as the movie pulses along, it steadily becomes clear what's happening inside of Joel's mind. Unable to wake up, he struggles through literal incarnations of his subconscious realities, his dream worlds, and his memories to hide remnants of Clementine where the technicians can't find them. The remaining bulk of the movie actually takes place in Joel's mind as he suddenly decides he doesn't want to forget Clementine. Three technicians (Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, and Elijah Wood) visit Joel's apartment and work through the night to remove the memories of Clementine from an unconscious Joel's mind. Anger, pseudo-revenge, and desperation push him to seek out the same doctor and have the procedure to erase his memories of her as well. Some time after they've separated, Joel finds out that Clementine visited a local psychiatrist (Tom Wilkinson) and had her memory of their entire relationship erased. The film tells the story of Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet), two people who casually met, fell in love, and drifted apart. Combining light elements of science fiction with a modern day world, the filmmakers construct a dense maze for their main characters and their audiences that's surprisingly poignant - speaking directly to personality, experience, and the human condition. If you could willingly have the memory of someone removed from your consciousness, would you? This is the question posed by director Michel Gondry and writer Charlie Kaufman in 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,' a trippy, time-bending examination of memory, love, and an individual's development through their painful experiences.
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