Review: Eternal Sunshine...
OK, I think I just finished watching one of the best films I've ever seen. I know, I know. Usually when I hear that type of exaggerated praise, I dismiss it immediately. The claims are often made off the cuff or in a fit of passion. However, even now after having time to think about it, I stand behind that claim.

I was already a fan of director Michel Gondry's work in music videos. In fact, I own a retrospective of his work on DVD. Visually, the guy is a genius (See Cibo Matto's "Sugar Water" or Chemical Brothers "Let Forever Be"). I was also already a fan of Charlie Kaufman who wrote "Being John Malkovich" and "Adaptation." And, I'll even admit that I am a closet Jim Carrey fan, too (The "Truman Show" and "Man on the Moon" Jim Carrey, not the "Mask" and "The Majestic" Jim Carrey).

So, it could be argued that I was predisposed to like this movie based on these affinities. However, I think it is just one of those rare instances where the script, the director and the actors were perfect for each other.

The script is brilliant. The story is so complex and is told in a non-linear fashion, so it could easily get messy (or try to be too clever like "Malkovich"). However, Kaufman moves you through it without overwhelming you with too much information at any given time. And, most importantly, through all of the mental twists and turns, he crafts a terrific love story.

And I don't know of any director who could have pulled this script off as well as Michel Gondry. The stuff he does in this movie (and in his previous music video work) is unlike anything I've ever seen before. Instead of being bound by realism, Gondry will always choose the shot or image that is right for the scene. That may be something surreal or absurd; however, it never feels out of place. And while the visual effects are great, they complement the story. You never find yourself saying, "Wow, what a cool shot" because you are too engrossed in the film to care. When you watch Gondry's work, you feel like he is liberating your mind from the constraints of traditional filmmaking (and he is).

For the sake of keeping this somewhat brief, I'll just add that Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet were excellent as Joel and Clementine. In fact, this is definitely the role of Carrey's career to this point. Often, it is hard to ignore the "baggage" that a famous actor brings when you see them in a different type of role. However, I never gave that a second thought. From the opening frame, he was Joel Barish. Also, Jon Brion's score was a perfect complement.

An Oscar would not be good enough for this film (yeah, I said that).