Fred’s No Clue Movie Review
“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”
Directed by Michel Gondry
Take a trip inside the
mind of Joel Barrish. Enter the world created by the crazy Charlie Kaufman.
Either way, get ready for a head rush of a movie that achieves near greatness
in my opinion. It is well thought out, highly entertaining and completely
original. Starring Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Mark Ruffalo, Kirsten Dunst,
Elijah Wood and Tom Wilkinson this film defies all conventions, but at its core,
it's an engaging romantic comedy about destiny and true love.
The set up is this. There's a company called Lacuna that can wipe out any
memory that you wish to forget. Wipe the slate clean, making you believe that
those painful experiences never ever happened. Joel wishes to forget Clementine
after he finds out that she erased him. He is asked to bring any artifacts that
would make him remember her to the doctor's office prior to this brain damage
deletion. They then make a map of his brain and the affected memories. A
technician will then come to Joel's house that night and when he wakes up after
a long sleep, he will have forgotten that Clementine ever existed. Are you with
me? What follows is a trippy invasion inside Joel's mind that makes him relive
his experiences with Clementine and second-guess the whole thing. Maybe he
doesn't want to forget the pain, because with it, he has to forget all the good
things that he so loved about her. It's a movie that kind of asks the question,
is it better to have loved and lost or never loved at all?
Jim Carrey is fantastic as Barrish. A bumbling, self-doubter who is taken on
the ride of his life by the life force that is Clementine, played beautifully by
Kate Winslet. Carrey is normally at his best when he's playing the silly crazy
man with the rubber face. Here he uses his comic chops to round out the
character of Joel. Injecting just enough crazy into his performance but all the
while keeping it from going too far over the top. He uses his great physical
comedy skills very effectively in this role and has some of the most fantastic
facial expressions I've ever seen him have without being out and out silly. Winslet,
is sexy, provocative and vulnerable as the wise cracking Clementine. She is the
embodiment of a free spirit who really wants to just settle down at this moment
in her life. The two play wonderfully off of each other and who knew that
Winslet had such comic timing. Elijah Wood is hilarious as a young technician
who takes advantage of the fact that he helped erase Joel from Clementine's
mind. He's a smarmy guy who plays up all the angles, but still manages to be
lovable. It's a big departure from the hobbit Frodo that he's played for the
past few years. The cast is really really good. They are continually asked to
bring you into this crazy world and we find it all so believable.
The film is a stylistic marvel. It fluidly mixes so many different time
periods, settings, and stories without making you aware of the special effects
at work. It's a story that takes place mostly in this dream like state since
you're inside of Barrish's mind for most of the film. I love films like this
where your imagination as a viewer runs wild, while continually being
restimulated by the unpredictable images that you’re seeing on the screen. In
fact, as Joel's mind runs wild, so does yours. You know the director had to
have this well thought out and choreographed, yet it feels like they're making
it up as they go along. The editing in this film is fantastic. The story is
all over the place but the film never feels like it's drifting off course or
slowing down. Shots blend so seamlessly that you can't tell what's coming next.
Gondry is a veteran of avant-garde music videos. He's directed videos for Bjork
and the 
White
Stripes among others. His use of music in this film is so great. Many times
he's creating little music video montages for us set to just the perfect music
for this film. It feels familiar yet fresh. He takes many risks yet each one
manages to pay off. He doesn't tug at
your heartstrings, but makes you feel. These characters are relatable and make
you hold a mirror up to your own life while watching their experiences. Every
character is flawed, but all seem to have a set purpose that doesn't drift.
Each and every one of them seems to evolve from beginning to end in some
fashion. Gondry receives outlandish, but not corny performances from each one
of his actors. He strikes a good balance between the crazy and the grounded.
This movie is a bright little ray of sunshine at your local multiplex. An
independent movie with hope, love and compassion that doesn't get too sappy.
It's got outstanding production values and it's never predictable. A fine cast
that helps transport you into this very surreal place and makes you feel
welcome. Invade the theater closest to you and seek out Eternal Sunshine of
the Spotless Mind. You'll never want to erase the experience.
For more information visit http://www.eternalsunshine.com
Email me your comments at no.clue@indenation.com
Come back soon, until then, I’ll be at the movies