Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
This review is from March 25, 2020
I closed my computer screen and all I could think was, wow– what a film. Charlie Kaufmann has done it again with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The only one of his other films I’ve seen is Adaptation, but I can easily tell why he is such a celebrated screenwriter.
Jim Carrey delivers a very nuanced performance as the leading man Joel, Kate Winslet embodies the spirit of her impulsive character Clementine, and the supporting roles played by Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood and Kirsten Dunst are good enough to warrant their own story. Also a quick shout out to the unusual lighting and cinematography, which gives the movie a very melancholy feeling that contrasts nicely with Jim Carrey’s hopeful-yet-resigned spirit.
Before you watch the film, be prepared to think outside the box. Eternal Sunshine starts fairly slow, but about the midway point you can feel yourself pulled into the story. As we dance around Joel’s memory, we get to explore so many different aspects of a relationship. Compatibility, attraction, associations with objects– the film seems to tell us that there isn’t one clear formula that makes a perfect couple, but rather a mixture of all three. Even then, a certain spark and happenstance is needed to get the ball rolling.
Memory is fascinating as the central part of this story. How do our memories of a person change how we perceive them? Even as Joel’s memories show us the dark side of his relationship with Clementine, he cares for her deeply. Do his earlier memories outweigh the new ones? Eternal Sunshine doesn’t answer these questions, but I love how it explores them.
Really, that’s what this movie is– an exploration. It is part romantic comedy and part sci-fi, pushing the boundaries of each genre. Credit once again to Kaufmann for weaving this non-linear story together in a way that feels natural and real. The scene that really got me emotionally was watching Joel and Clementine run through the snow about three quarters of the way through the film. It was at that moment that I knew I was watching something special.
