Have you ever wanted an ex-girlfriend or boyfriend erased from your memory? That is exactly what happens to Joel (Jim Carrey) in the film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.” This movie has a serious tone, but with just enough comic relief to classify it as a comedy.
Written by screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (“Being John Malkovich,” “Adaptation”) and starting Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, “Eternal Sunshine” is a fascinating movie. Supporting actors Kirsten Dunst and David Cross give performances just as impressive as the stars.
When her pain from breaking up with Joel becomes too great, Clementine (Kate Winslet) decides to have a new brain operation that will ease the memory of her broken relationship. Later, when Joel finds out that Clementine has had the procedure, he meets with her doctors. He soon decides to have the operation himself to relieve his own depression.
The drama really heats up when the doctor’s assistant, Patrick (Elijah Wood), tries to steal Clementine’s love by using Joel’s identity while he is having his memory erased. In the middle of his operation, Joel catches on to Patrick’s scheme and tries to pull out of the procedure. Attempting to fight the memory erasure, he finds that the best he can hope for is to hide all thoughts of Clementine within his childhood memories.
Jim Carrey’s portrayal of the depressed, heartbroken Joel proves that he is one of the most diversely talented actors of our time. I realize that might sound ridiculous when you think of Carrey in movies like “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective” and “Dumb and Dumber.” But Carrey has also received Golden Globe awards for best actor in “The Truman Show” and “The Man on the Moon.”
Carrey utilizes all his skills in this movie, at points drawing slightly on the physical humor he used in “Ace Ventura.” But for the most part he simply excels in portraying the everyday man caught in the path of modernization, the same way he did in the “Truman Show.”
At first I thought Carrey would be too old to play the part — but his performance in “Eternal Sunshine” is natural and powerful. Every step of the way you feel like you are in the shoes of a man having part of his memory ripped away from him.
Kate Winslet gives an equally unique performance. Unlike her role in “Titanic,” she plays a strong, modern woman who is tired of the Jerry Maguire idea of romance, where two people meet and complete each other and end up willing to die for each other.
The character of Clementine is successful not only because of Winslet’s acting, but because Clementine is a well developed character. Kaufman’s screenplay, as in his other movies, offers a unique story with interesting plot developments.
It’s not just the unpredictable plot developments that make the movie exciting, but also the script’s originality. At the end of the movie, when Joel and Clementine seem to be getting back together, Kaufman leaves the audience feeling like the couple will not live happily ever. Rather, it seems like they will walk along the same path, ending up at each other’s throats again.
Ironically, this state of affairs seems to make both of them happy. It’s an honest and real ending — not some ridiculous Hollywood love story.
Michael McAllister can be contacted at [email protected]