Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind   
 

Joel Barish: Jim Carrey

Clementine Kruczynski: Kate Winslet

Dr. Howard Mierzwiak: Tom Wilkinson

Stan: Mark Ruffalo

Patrick: Elijah Wood

Mary: Kirsten Dunst

 

Directed by Michael Gondry

Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman
If you had a chance to go back and do things differently, like people say to themselves all the time, would you really do anything different, and, in the end, would the outcome have even changed or been any better?  This is just one of many questions that Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the new movie from the mind of Charlie Kaufman, poses and attempts to answer.

In Eternal Sunshine..., Dr. Howard Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson) of Lacuna, Inc., operates on patients that want to erase the memory of certain people from their lives.  Joel Barish, played by Jim Carrey, finds out that his girlfriend, Clementine (Kate Winslet) has erased him from her mind.  Distraught at this revelation, he then sets out to do the same thing to her.  However, during the operation, and while trapped in his own memories, Joel reconsiders and searches for a way to save his memory of Clem.

The title comes from an Alexander Pope quotation used in the movie by Mary (Kirsten Dunst), Dr. Mierzwiak's receptionist: "How happy is the blameless Vestal's lot! The world forgetting, by the world forgot: Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind! Each prayer accepted, and each wish resign'd."  It's a way for her to attempt to impress her boss with her knowledge, while trying her best to square in her mind the appropriateness of the service he provides.  Yet, you wonder if she really believes it?

Carrey, once again, gives another masterful performance as Joel Barish,  which only further proves what a truly outstanding actor he is.  He brings depth and warmth in a subdued performance, while maintaining the right hint of zaniness as a man looking for a way out of his own mind.  He is surrounded by an excellent supporting cast highlighted by Dunst and Winslet as the free-spirited object of his affection.

Kaufman's script plays a little with time and the audience's mind to the point where you begin to wonder if you are remembering something accurately or not.  Was it a memory you saw, an actual event, or a combination of the two?  This, along with Michael Gondry's direction, effectively puts you inside Joel's mind.  The script is both creative and thought-provoking as you root for Joel to succeed over the operation while questioning the wisdom behind the entire procedure.

The movie raises questions about the choices people make in life and the magnitude of those decisions.  Were things ever really as bad as they seemed?  Is it better to forget things than live through something and learn from the experience?  The end of the film does not really provide any answers as it takes the movie into an unexpected and different direction.  It isn't so much a surprise twist, as it is a way to delve a little deeper into the subject and spur further reexamination of the events. 

The images in this film and the issues it brings up are enough to get you thinking about it for days after you have seen it.  This is the mark of any great movie and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind definitely does not disappoint in this regard.