ETERNAL SUNSHINE of the Spotless Mind

Imagine being able to wipe out all the unpleasant memories of your life - being scolding by your mother - the fights with the neighborhood bully - losing the girl of your dreams to the king of the high school jocks - a relationship turned sour - a marriage turned bad - or just one moment in time - and then changing your mind - unable to stop the mind brokers who are erasing, not only the bad times, but your most cherished memories. If you can imagine all this then you just might be prepared for the mind bending "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" from screenwriter Charlie Kaufman, director Michel Gondry and its superb cast.

Jim Carrey is Joel Barish, an introvert who opens up to the free spirited Clementine Kruczynski played with open hearted abandon by Kate Winslet. After a whirlwind affair, Joel finds out Clem has had her memory bank wiped clean of him. Impetuously, he reacts by doing the same with the help of the same people at Lacuna Inc. Tom Wilkinson plays the befuddled genius behind the cranial map making procedure that degausses the brain with a low tech sci-fi contraption that visualizes patches of memory like a sonogram. Once Joel is put to sleep, his memories glide across the screen the way he remembers them - his first meeting with Clem on the beach - their first kiss - the first time they made love - the periodic changes in Clem’s hair color - and all the little nuances that make him and Clem unique. The good times outweigh the bad. Joel realizes - while he is colloquially under the knife - he is erasing the best parts of his life and wants out of the Lacuna process. But he can’t escape from the tenacity - and lunacy - of the three Lacuna techies, Mark Ruffalo, Kristen Dunst, and Elijah Wood - responsible for his welfare. They drink, dance, carouse half naked, unable to stop Joel from escaping to an untouchable corner of the mind - at least at first.

Carrey is at his most hilarious when Joel forces himself to dredge up childhood memories to elude the Lacuna crew. He becomes a child in a man’s body re-acting to Clem standing in for the adults in his life. By osmosis, Clem becomes part of Joel’s dream state. Together they re-enact moments from the past, changing them, hoping they will bubble up in the real world where they can meet again and start over. The catalyst for change comes in the guise of another interested in Clem who triggers the renewed feelings. Meanwhile, the filmmakers depict the disappearance of Joel’s alternate universe as if it were a Pac Man game with an invisible Pac Man gobbling up swatches of memory. Joel’s world literally caves in and disappears around him, but when physical objects disappear, the yearnings that dwell within Joel’s and Clem’s souls still remain.

There are several chilling moments that give testimony to the fragility of love when an affair comes to light. The spouse of one of the lovers can never erase the memory of the hurt while others do it with the flick of a switch. In the same breath, the accompanying scene likewise warns against the intrusion of science in the affairs of everyday man.

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is a flawless piece of movie magic full of heart and heartache, laughter and tears, and enough soul to move the heavens.

Copyright 2004

P.S. The title "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" comes from a poem by satirist Alexander Pope (1688-1744). He was a contemporary of Johnathan Swift, author of Gullivers Travels.

Jim Carrey has had many bit parts in dramatic movies like "The Dead Pool," a Clint Eastwood movie from 1988 before hitting pay dirt with the Wayan Brothers on the hot comedy TV series In Living Color, but one of his most effective roles in was in a TV movie "Doing Time on Maple Drive"(1992) as an alcoholic teen in a family on the verge of disintegration.

"Heavenly Creatures" (1994) - Kate made her screen debut in this one of a kind thriller from New Zealand. This real life story based on a celebrated murder case from the 1950s, is co-scripted and directed by Peter Jackson, the man responsible for the success of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Kate and Melanie Lynley are murderous teens caught up in a fantasy world of Opera, Mario Lanza, Orson Welles and sex. The screenplay was nominated for an Oscar.

Wilkinson has appeared in dozens of British TV movies and PBS series. He’s had small parts in movies like the "Ghost in the Darkness" (1996), the controversial "Priest" (1994), and the Oscar winning "In the Name of the Father" (1993), but it was as Gerald - the oldest and last holdout in a scheme to make some money instead of living on the dole in the Oscar nominated "The Full Monty" in 1997 that led to even bigger parts in even bigger budget movies like Mel Gibson’s "The Patriot."

Mark Ruffalo appeared in at least half a dozen Indie films before hitting pay dirt with the low budget "You Can Count on Me" from 2000. Written and directed by playwright, friend, and collaborator, Kenneth Lonergan, Mark plays the troubled Terry Prescott who comes to town to see his estranged sister, played by Laura Linney. He forms an unlikely bond with his nephew with unforeseen consequences.

"Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles" (1994) - No matter what you think of this adaptation of Anne Rice’s acclaimed novel, you can’t deny the magnificent performance by Kirsten Dunst playing her part with a maturity beyond her years. She was a preteen when shooting began. Kirsten played Claudia the vampire child whose body remains eternal while growing as an adult in mind and spirit. Tom Cruise is the Vampire Lestat, and Brad Pitt is her mentor and protector Louis, the one time protégé and companion of Lestat.

Elijah Wood will probably be best remembered as Frodo in "The Lord of the Rings" Trilogy, but I believe his introspective performance in Ang Lee’s "The Ice Storm" (1997) is one of the hallmarks of his career. He plays Mike Carvey, a confused kid trying to survive in the materialistic suburban hamlet of Canaan Connecticut where the actions of his peers reflect the moral ambivalence of their parents. He holds his own alongside such stalwart performers as Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, and Sigourney Weaver. Some of his peers are played by Christina Ricci, Tobey Maguire, and Katie Holmes. The tragic finale involving Wood, to my mind, is one of the most indelible scenes in film history.