Review
Review Date: 21-March-04
Spoiler Rating: Low
Juju Judgment: Jubilation!
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Anyone who reads my reviews regularly probably knows how much I dislike modern romantic movies, with their treacly, transparent plotlines, abundant clichés, and entirely unbelievable resolutions. Making use of the freedom of the nonprofessional critic, I generally avoid such films unless they promise to differ from the norm or have something other than the plot to recommend them; or, as in the case of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," unless they are sprung on me unawares. Going into the latest picture from writer Charlie Kaufman, I expected uniqueness, an intricate script, a few laughs, and a lot to think about, but not such an affecting tale of love.
"Eternal Sunshine" exhibits the same inventiveness, eccentricity, and fascination with the psychological landscape as Kaufman's previous work, but in a more mature form. (Having twice teamed with director Spike Jonze, here he entrusts the script to Michel Gondry.) Whereas "Being John Malkovich" and "Adaptation" featured men who comically stumbled over their own neuroses and self-loathing, "Eternal Sunshine" stars Jim Carrey as a man who seriously wrestles with the difficulty of possessing individuality and loving someone else. Although repressed and unsure like Kaufman's other heroes, Carrey's Joel Barish starts out accepting the need for personal evolution that was touted in "Adaptation;" his journey is to the next level of emotional bravery, the realization that intimacy has its limits as well as its power.
How Joel gets to this realization is, of course, a bit of a wild ride. After learning that his bohemian ex-girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) has had his memory erased from her mind, he signs up for the same process out of spite and desperation. While undergoing the procedure, however, he decides that the moments and events he is reliving one last time are too precious to lose, and tries to save something of Clementine that will not be erased. His inner wanderings, and their import, are reflected in the lives of the brain-altering technicians (Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, Kirsten Dunst, Tom Wilkinson), who also have issues of need, love, and loss that cannot be laid to rest so easily.
Kaufman's creativity has consistently attracted and inspired fine actors, and "Eternal Sunshine" is no exception (just look at that dream team of a supporting cast). Winslet ably negotiates the difficult task of making a free spirit seem genuine (while nailing an American accent); Clementine is abrasive, but undeniably lovely and understandably appealing to Joel. Despite the loudness of her character, Winslet doesn't drown out Carrey, who delivers an extremely touching and believable performance replete with perception, sorrow, frustration, and yearning. Through Carrey, I totally got Joel Barish from the very first frame, and all through his crazy mind trip I wanted him to find what he was seeking.
The beauty of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is its definition of exactly this: what Joel is seeking, or what he needs to find. With an insight as distinctive of his work as quirkiness, Kaufman scraps the usual interpretation of what it means to succeed in love (marriage, kids, perfect harmony, a feeling of inviolable security), arguing instead that the messy intersection of two different people is itself an end of potentially great worth. He dares to leave his lovers striving for happily, not happily ever after, and thus creates an intelligent and memorable romantic film.
Copyright © 2004 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.
