Movie Review by Bill Rendall |
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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless MindIt is difficult to categorize Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. It relies on the sci-fi premise that memories can be selectively erased from the brain but the technology is not the main focus of the movie. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind features a romance based on the opposites attract principle. Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet play the lead characters. Against type, Carrey is cast as suppressed and conservative, and Winslet is cast as impulsive, reckless and outgoing. The story is presented non-linearly and it takes some effort to sort out the order of events. The main thread of the movie covers a few days around Valentine's Day. There is a lengthy section presented before the movie's opening credits which seems to show us Carrey and Winslet meeting for the first time. We later find out that they met two years earlier. They erased their memories of their time together so it also seems like the first meeting to them, albeit with a sense of deja vu. The movie's screenwriter, Charlie Kaufman, has established a reputation for writing clever scripts which delve into the mind, such as Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. While I have enjoyed his earlier movies I find that Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is more satisfying because at its core is a compelling romance. The director, Michel Gondry, established his reputation directing music videos. The visual element of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is very appealing. The extended dream sequence gives Gondry plenty of latitude to employ visual tricks. It is noteworthy that some of these tricks are achieved by traditional illusion methods rather than computer editing. For example, a kitchen set was created using perspective tricks to create the illusion of Carrey being small. The music was provided by Jon Brion. In general I liked the soundtrack but I was distracted by the quirky music which accompanied the opening conversion between Carrey and Winslet on the train. I liked the use of 'Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime' as a bookend over the opening and closing credits. This emphasised the circular narrative of the movie. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a densely packed movie which richly rewards repeated viewing. I highly recommend Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to people who like movies with psychological concepts and also to people who like a stormy romance. |
Director: Michel Gondry Screenplay: Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry Music: Jon Brion |
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