Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2004 Directed by Michel Gondry
Synopsis
I already forget how I used to feel about you.
A man, Joel Barish, heartbroken that his girlfriend Clementine underwent a procedure to erase him from her memory, decides to do the same. However, as he watches his memories of her fade away, he realizes that he still loves her, and may be too late to correct his mistake.
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I’m not sure I have an all time favourite film but if I was pushed to pick one then Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind would be a strong candidate. It is such a wildly inventive and beautifully crafted film, both behind and in front of the camera, that it never fails to impress or surpise me, no matter how often I watch it.
Charlie Kaufman is the great screenwriter of his generation. His work is unique (even with a few imitators springing up), incredibly creative but also heartfelt and honest. It is the latter quality that elevates his scripts from being mere quirky curiosities to becoming the basis of some of the finest films of the past twenty years.…
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This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.
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Part of Dastardly Difficult December: film nr.61
Joy and pain are intricately linked in our lives. It is difficult to fully experience one without the other as, even though they are seemingly opposites, they are actually complementary, a thing this film understands really well and manages to convey in most unique and beautiful way possible. Through a simple 'What if?' story.
What if you could erase all those nasty memories? Would you do it? Would you want to get rid of people you don't like anymore, people that have hurt you? Without being pompous about it, this film tries to give answers to these questions and in doing so relates a strong message about human connection and human nature.
Most…
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After all these years, this film still manages to make me cry like a bitch. If you can see me now, I still got the female dog look in my eyes.
The first time I saw this was a few years ago. I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to see it again. It really struck an emotional cord with me. It really touched me. It broke me. I laughed; I cried; I was moved. I'm not really a big fan of the romance genre but this is the most beautiful romance I've ever seen and that's because it feels so real; the characters and relationships. Nothing is sugarcoated here for a mass audience. Every character is flawed.…
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Joel: I can't see anything that I don't like about you.
Clementine: But you will! But you will. You know, you will think of things. And I'll get bored with you and feel trapped because that's what happens with me.
Joel: Okay.
Clementine: Okay.There are two factors that make Eternal Sunshine one of the greatest films of its decade.
Firstly, the technical success. Every scene is inventive, surprising and engaging, hanging into every potential oblivion of madness but never once letting itself fall. This intelligence of direction creates an unrelenting sense of pace and you happily sprint alongside it.
Secondly, its sheer warmth. Kaufman is always so brilliant, but he really excels here in the creation of such a…
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So in a discussion a few weeks ago my friend listed this off as one of those cult favorites that he just didn't buy into the hype for. I could hardly argue, I couldn't even remember the year that I saw this, I couldn't remember any feelings towards it. So then this popped up in Roger Ebert's ''The Great Movies'' list that I was doing in May. It is time.
Inner reflection, feelesque, the monologues, these are my favorite parts, the smooth filming style mirrored, such a free flow of film at times, particularly the beginning, my favourite sequence. Whilst the style from Gondry may be tantalizing, I was left wondering after why he never attempted anything as poetic…
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This isn't just a movie. It's a movie that reaches down the very pit of your soul and grabs you by the heartstrings as it also reawakens and calms you about the very vein of your existence. It leaves a sense of hope and optimism, and tells you that just because your memories may seem unsettling, they are what made you who you are today. One of my favorite films of all time.
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One of the most unique films I've ever seen. Jimmy Carrey is brilliant.
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I forgot how much I love this movie.
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Favorita!
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A beautiful piece of work, superbly acted and directed. I really enjoy Gondry. But I found myself a little bored and distracted here. After you suspect and then realise the film's conceit, the director is still typically self-indulgent before bringing you to the end.
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This movie is so sincere. Jim Carrey shows he´s not only a top notch comedian, but also can do a more serious kind of films. Kate Winslet is really pretty. This fim is special because it has both a heart and a brain, staying as one of the best romantic movies ever. Now I wish to have a girlfriend so we can see this together haha.
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Charlie Kaufman scripts are tricky things. With all the right other elements in place, they can be great (Adaptation, for example). If not, however, they just don't quite work. Sometimes, a director who can handle his work right (e.g. Spike Jonze) is on board, but the film is miscast (Being John Malkovich - I really thought Diaz and Keener were wrong). Other times, the cast is right, but the director is all wrong (Human Nature). This film falls under the latter. It just felt like the movie never quite came together. We never got too involved with the characters, and the editing, pacing, and direction didn't let them develop at all. I thought it was a very interesting idea, and I thought the actors did fine jobs, but the movie wasn't what it could have been.
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Very interesting concept. Bad memories and pain are there as a consequence of the good memories you had with a person. Pain makes us feel human.
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This was beautifully sad.