Review of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) by Vincent D — 28 Sep 2013

Thought this movie was great. I don't hand out 5 stars easily. At first glance, I thought this movie was going to be another "Groundhog Day" (1993), where Jim Carrey would be reprising his comedic character from back in the days of "The Mask" (1994) and "Dumb and Dumber" (1995), but this would not be the case.

Carrey plays a more serious role as in "Man in the Moon" (1999) and later in "The Number 23" (2007). Ok, so it helps that I'm a fan of Jim Carrey's work, but the imaginative story, which won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, is amazing.

It is like "Total Recall" (1990) in reverse, where instead of trying to add memories that never occurred, this movie toys with a procedure that can erase your memory of a given individual. Carrey's character Joel is undergoing this procedure, but decides partway through that he wants out.

Since the procedure takes place in a comatose state, this is not an option. This causes the majority of the movie to take place in a dreamlike sequence. Much like a dream, events superimpose themselves, and passing through familiar doorways lead to illogical places.

There was no predicting what would happen next because anything could happen next. And then when Joel decides he wants out, it becomes like being in a dream that you know you are dreaming. This is what "Nightmare on Elm Street"(1984) would be like if it were simply "Dream on Elm Street.

" Then to add to an already dizzying tale, halfway through the movie an unexpected twist occurs in a sub-plot that you are unaware even exists outside the dream sequence. The movie explores themes such as, of course, memory, true love and destiny.

I thought the editing was fantastic, and am surprised to see it did not garner much attention. Fortunately it was recognized by fellow editors, it received a nomination at the American Cinema Editors awards.

A great movie to watch,--it's different, it's philosophical, it's fun, and it's entertaining. What more can you ask for in a movie?