Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

User Rating:

8.5/10   

Director:

Michel Gondry

Writers (WGA):

Charlie Kaufman (story) &
Michel Gondry (story) ...

Release Date:

19 maaliskuu 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

I already forget how I used to feel about you.

Plot:

A couple undergo a procedure to erase each other from their memories when their relationship turns sour, but it is only through the process of loss that they discover what they had to begin with.

Plot Keywords:

Memory | Crush | Train | Beach | Audio Cassette

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 36 wins & 50 nominations

Cast

Jim Carrey	...	Joel Barish
Kate Winslet	...	Clementine Kruczynski
Gerry Robert Byrne	...	Train Conductor
Elijah Wood	...	Patrick
Thomas Jay Ryan	...	Frank
Mark Ruffalo	...	Stan
Jane Adams	...	Carrie
David Cross	...	Rob
Kirsten Dunst	...	Mary
Tom Wilkinson	...	Dr. Howard Mierzwiak
Ryan Whitney	...	Young Joel
Debbon Ayer	...	Joel's Mother
Amir Ali Said	...	Young Bully
Brian Price	...	Young Bully
Paulie Litt	...	Young Bully

Also Known As:

Tahraton mieli (Finland) [fi]

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some drug and sexual content.

Runtime:

108 min | Turkey:95 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #40598) | Iceland:L | India:A | Chile:Y7 | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Canada:14A (British Columbia/Ontario) | Canada:G (Québec) | Finland:K-11 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:AL | New Zealand:M | Norway:11 | Peru:PT | Philippines:R-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Zurich) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

123 Valentine Lane, Yonkers, New York, USA

Company:

Anonymous Content

Trivia:

A Metro North Commuter Railroad train from the New Haven line (red striped) doubled for the Long Island Railroad (which are blue striped).

Goofs:

Continuity: In the scene where Mary first comes into Joel's apartment, Patrick and Stan had been drinking beer. At first, just before the door is opened, they are both Rolling Rock (green bottles). After she has entered, Stan's beer turns into a Labatt Blue (brown bottle).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Joel: [voice over] random thoughts for Valentine's day, 2004. Today is a holiday invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Knocked Up (2007)

Soundtrack:

Concerto No. 8 in D Major, Opus 99

Best Film of 2004

Joel (Jim Carrey) is a rather milquetoast man who meets up with free spirit Clementine (Kate Winslet), and they become romantically involved. However, they endure a messy breakup and Clementine goes to a business called Lacuna, Inc., where she has all of her memories of Joel erased. Not wanting to be left out, Joel also goes to have his memory erased. However, soon after it begins, Joel realizes that he wants to keep the memory of Clementine, so he tries to reverse the process.

Well, if you're familiar with Kaufman's work, then you know what your getting yourself into. This is just as weird if not weirder then his previous work (maybe even John Malkovich). Anyways, I knew what I was getting myself into, but 90% of the movie I was saying to myself "What the f*ck", but in a good way. It opens with Joel calling in sick for work and going on a different train and meeting Clementine, they hit it off, now this is about 15 minutes into the movie, then out of nowhere come the credits for the opening. I will admit, I thought it would be different, but I'm glad that it is the way it is, the movie is 80% of the time in Joel's head.

If you think you know Carrey, think again. This movie is his best performance, better than Majestic, Truman show and all of his comedic roles (which is what I love him for). Just looking at his face from the second we see him, we feel his pain, then like that, we feel his joy, embarrassment, hate. Just awesome acting on his part, and Winslet was great as well. Everybody, Wood, Dunsts, and so on, just add to the emotion on the screen. I can see at least one Oscar nomination for acting(hope).

But if I were to bet any money on any Oscar nominations it would obviously be the writing, what a mess, but beautifully constructed. You think to yourself, if that scene really necessary but everything is so out of it, that you think later on that it does, that's beautiful, crazy, give me whatever he's smoking kind of writing. Charlie Kaufman's writing is always clever, but this time he's one-upped himself by making something simultaneously bizarre and emotionally engaging. It seemed like his earlier movies were clever for the sake of cleverness, but 'Eternal Sunshine' manages to dazzle you with it's originality and it's poignancy. The fact that this movie was able to wrap such profound loss, emotional tenderness, and hope in such a self-consciously stylized package illustrates the incredible talent of the people behind it.

Michel Gondry's use of vibrant coloring and quick camera movement give the film a very involving first hand feeling. The constant use of the handy cam is very all involving for the viewer, and I suppose that this is exactly what is needed in such a personal movie. His work on the dream sequences is incredible as well.

I really liked Passoins of Christ, but this movie blows it out of the water, this is so far my number one of 2004 and it will take a lot to knock it down. One fault with it, would have to be the last minute of the film, the fade to white and the same scene playing over and over did nothing for the film, except take away from it.