Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

To be honest, I only heard about this Jim Carrey film a few years ago; it had somehow been off my radar all these years. It is definitely an unconventional viewing experience in every sense. I liked how they grafted sci-fi onto the romantic genre; you don't see that every day. The central idea of a letter containing information that someone has just erased you from their memory is initially quite crazy, but as time goes on, I started to enjoy the whole concept more and more. Of course, the cast contributes to this, with Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet... could the creators wish for anyone better for the lead roles? I also appreciated the various little details (like Clementine's hair color changing according to her mood). I don't feel ready to give it a higher rating yet, but I wouldn't rule out leaning towards that after a second viewing in the future (a lot of people had that experience). For me, it's 8/10. (09/08/2021)

Everyone here is (rightly) praising Kaufman, but Gondry's direction, full of visual ideas and technical finesse, is just as brilliant as the script. Above all, it's to Gondry's credit that the plot puzzle doesn't fall apart like a house of cards and that the typical "Kaufman-esque" apparent chaos (it may seem so on the first viewing, but it makes perfect sense with the next screening) can be calmly absorbed the first time. In short, directorial work par excellence, which is not surprising, because a guy who has made such amazing videos for Bjork can't be second rate. I like this film more with each viewing, there is something new to find every time and it always manages to beautifully caress the soul. For me, one of the best and most original films of recent years. (01/30/2005)

An incredible sci-fi romance distinguished by excellent performances, but above all by a brilliant screenplay written by Charlie Kaufman. Michel Gondry was also involved, after all. Something unique was created that will either charm you or leave you viewing it as odd, especially if you struggle to understand the film. It's not easy, but give it a try and watch it. You won't experience something like this easily again. (12/12/2013)

Whether I want to or not, I need to nag and criticize. The aspects of the film overshadow a certain banality and imperfection of the content... Beneath the shell of perfect visuals (the edit and camera are excellent!) and narrative magic, there is love story that is only briefly sketched psychologically and is not exceptional in any way, and it lacks depth and the hard-to-name magic that "made" Coppola's gem Lost in Translation. Carrey excels and with absolute sovereignty connects the civilian inner and exhibitionist mannerisms of his acting, and Winslet is also deeply immersed in the eccentric Clementine, but they are unable to hide the flatness of the characters and their considerable proclamation and two-dimensionality. The exclusivity of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is aided by the superficial memory-erasing plot that allowed Gondry to play out the audio-visual drama of an escape from the inevitable oblivion that takes place almost entirely in the main character's head. The drama of the end of a relationship between two people, painful disillusionment and an irreversible return to the beginning, which overshadows all the evil that happened after it. It's not boring at all and it warms my soul, but after the film ended I had nothing left but a handful of positive impressions and a very overdone, mundane love story in an exclusive package. Nevertheless, I can only praise the ease with which Gondry et al. work with emotional shades... But I was still expecting more. (08/21/2004)

That was quite a ride... A memory here and there, with the occasional real thing thrown in, and then it would seem impossible to understand. And look! I understood the incomprehensible and misunderstood the comprehensible - a crazy combination, I know, like the speed of Clementine's hair color change. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is an amazing journey into the deepest recesses of a lover's soul, where everything seems so real, but let's not be fooled. The great Jim Carrey and the absolutely amazing Kate Winslet may make a completely mismatched pair (which may be just me), but the ways of love are devious. This is definitely one of the most intricate films of the 21st century, and it gave me everything on offer - sweet romance, bitter drama and unadulterated sci-fi ... ...and actually feel great about something so special. (02/25/2011)