Misty Watercolor

(I'm posting this old review as a pre-Oscars thing. Eternal Sunshine gets my vote for Best Original Screenplay)

Review by Vives Anunciacion

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Directed by Michel Gondry
Written by Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry, Pierre Bismuth
Starring Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Elijah Wood, Kirsten Dunst
R13 / 108 minutes
Focus Features

Memories in the corner of my mind
Misty watercolor memories
Of the way we were
- Barbara Streisand, “The Way We Were” (1973)

How happy is the blameless vestal's lot!
The world forgetting, by the world forgot.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!
Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd;
Labour and rest, that equal periods keep;
"Obedient slumbers that can wake and weep;"
Desires compos'd, affections ever ev'n,
Tears that delight, and sighs that waft to Heav'n.
-- Alexander Pope, "Eloisa to Abelard" (1717)

There are times when it much more coherent to be illogical, or to make sense out of nothing rational. Eternal Sunshine is as much a conceptual love story as it is an unconventional exploration of the complexities of the human mind.

In Eternal Sunshine, Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) enlists the special aid of a medical clinic to erase former lover Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet) from the depths of his mind after things get terribly sour. Unbeknownst to Joel, Clementine had the same procedure done to her, so she can forget about her bitter relationship with Joel. Something like a computer-aided lobotomy for the romantically insolvent.

Unconventional is a mild term to describe this movie. French Director Gondry exploits the audience’s patience in exposing the film’s narrative by shifting use of film and theater techniques. Carrey displays a very laid-back performance and yet manages to draw out the intensities of his character’s brain.

What is Eternal Sunshine all about? It is a love story primarily, but told without the linearity of standard Hollywood fare. But beyond that, Eternal Sunshine is an exploration of the workings of the human conscious- and sub-consciousness. The story unravels the way dreams spin in our heads, more than half of the time it’s like watching somebody’s twisted brain regurgitate.

At the end of the film, Joel tries to reestablish relations with Clementine. He reassures her, and tells her it’s going to be okay. That’s what this film is all about – it’s about getting rid of all the negativity inside. It’s the same as achieving enlightenment through meditation, or attaining peace through prayer. Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind.

What the film really says is that we really can’t exist without our memories. In a word, this movie is unforgettable.