USA, 2004
Director: Michel Gondry
Score: ***1/2

Midway during the film, receptionist Kirsten Dunst attempts to impress her boss Tom Wilkinson by quoting a segment from Alexander Pope which contains the lines “eternal sunshine of the spotless mind.” The words fly past fast and the viewer has to be quick to catch the significance of the quotation.  Such is director Michel Gondry (the unfortunate HUMAN NATURE) and writer Charlie Kaufman’s (who scripted ADAPTATION and BEING JOHN MALKOVICH) latest effort – a layered, complex, intriguing yet another story of an ardent journey into the human mind.  Kaufman’s previous works wowed critics and his name alone is enough to make this film worth a look.

Gondry’s film jumps all over in time.  Also filmed with jittery hand held camera most of the time, the viewer is left often uneasy, irritant and anxious – pretty much the way protagonist Joel feels throughout the film.  ETERNAL SUNSHINE begins with the breaking up of lovers Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet).  When Joel discovers that she had him erased from his memory, he attempts the same with disaster following after technicians Mark Ruffalo and Elijah Wood screw up the procedure.  When Joel’s mind undergoes changes, Gondry presents Joel’s views of his childhood, longings, fears and desires before and after the break-up.

Gondry fills his films with amazing images – an overhead shot of the lovers lying on a cracked frozen pond, the two again struggling in a sink of dishwater and the most spectacular the pair again as they runabout a crumbling beach house in the dark of night.

Carrey gives a performance restrained by Gondry as observed by the low key score and blurry images whenever Carrey starts hamming it up.  Winslet, however, is allowed freer reign over her spirit.  The younger supporting cast of Dunst, Wood and the unrecognizable Ruffalo (IN THE CUT) complement the pair with equal craziness and idiocy.

ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND can be considered a puzzled romantic comedy with a bizarre sci-fi twist.  Not for everyone, but writers, film buffs and those who wish to be psychologically challenged will definitely be amused if not fascinated.

Review by Gilbert Seah.