Movie Review

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

I usually don't stay awake to write a review for a movie that i've seen esp., when i'm damn sleepy.. But i'll make an exception for this one atleast.. The first thing i wanted to do after seeing this beautiful piece of work by director Michel Gondry was to write a review for it.. I hope i can do justice to it.. So here goes..

The plot..

Well.. The movie stars Jim Carrey (Joel) as this normal, shy, boring n introvert guy whose life revolves around making trips to work n back.. The female lead is played by Kate Winslet (Clementine), a happy go lucky chatter box who is full of life.. One of these days while going to work, Joel feels that he doesn't want to go to office n heads off to different places where his heart leads him to.. He's wandering around the beach when he comes across Clementine.. Being the shy n introvert guy that he is, he hardly makes any eye contact with the gal who finally comes up to him n starts chattering away.. And so begins their beautiful journey towards a relationship.. They seem to be totally in love with each other, until one day, when Joel goes up to meet her in the library to wish her a happy valentines day, she doesnt recall who he is and instead already has a new boyfriend.. Shattered, Joel returns home.. He is confused n completely bewildered that this was happening to him.. His friend later reveals that Clementine has undergone a treatment whereby she has erased all memories of Joel from her mind.. He tries to find the reason for this but is not able to.. Sad n unable to bear his heartache any further, he decides to erase clementine from his memory just the way she did.. He goes to that same place where she had undergone that procedure.. Enter 4 new characters.. Tom Wilkinson (Dr.Howard Mierzwiak) as the doctor who specialises in the memory erase procedure and his assistants Kirsten Dunst (Mary), Stan (Mark Ruffalo) and Elijah Wood (Patrick).. Joel packs up all his stuff that even remotely reminds him of clementine and hands it over to the doc, who creates a mental map of his brain to selectively erase those moments of his life.. The procedure is carried out at Joel's place and he is put to sleep for this purpose.. While this goes on, Patrick n Mark strike up a conversation which it turns out is audible to Joel in all his memories that are being erased.. And so he realises in the flashbacks of his past with clementine, that they are being erased one by one.. Initially he doesn't mind the parts where all the unpleasant moments are being erased, but when those small moments of happiness that he had shared start vanishing one by one, he realises how much he loves her and that now he doesn't want to loose them.. The memories hold a special part in his life.. But he's asleep.. He can't wake up.. So what does he do? He starts running away to that part of his past which wont be erased as the procedure will not deviate from the mental map that was created.. And thus begins his journey to some of the most memorable moments of his life..

A light, soft romantic comedy on the outside, the movie asks a number of questions that have been raised earlier many a times.. If on the one hand, the director shows how fragile relationships can be and how often we take things for granted, the other question asks if science should be used to alter the life of a person in such a way so as to take away a part of one's life, both of which have been handled with utmost simplicity.. That is in fact what makes the film beautiful, the simplicity with which a complex story has been handled..

This is a story which i'm sure most of us will be able to relate to at some level.. All of us have had those moments in life which make us sad, which give us pain, which we keep locked up inside us in some remote corner.. And then there are moments, those little memories, those small things in life which we hold on so dearly to.. At times, one does wish to turn back time and be able to undo all those unpleasant events.. At times, we wish that we'd forget/erase all the pain that we carry inside and has become unbearable.. But we forget, that whatever we are today, is because of those experiences.. Yeah, they may be hard to keep off mind, but they are an inseparable part of the being that is "I".. And sooner or later, there comes a time, when we realise that we would not trade them for anything in this world.. A message crafted beautifully on screen..

Performance wise, Jim Carrey plays the character of Joel with great ease and the role is something completely different from his earlier movies like the Mask or bruce almighty.. The way he keeps on saying "My life is not interesting" and his moment of truth in the film actually make you sit up and feel a little for the chap.. Kate on the other hand is also brilliant with this performance and handles the character showing a great range of emotions .. And yeah, her hair color ranging from blue to orange are a treat for the eyes.. For the first time, i actually felt that these colors can also look good..

All in all, a great movie and a must watch.. Don't miss it for anything!! Do let me know how you find it.. Finally, I leave you with these lines from the movie..

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.