The Good: If, like me, you go into this film with hesitation because of the cast, then let me prepare you… this is not the Jim Carrey you know from “Ace Venutra: Pet Detective,” nor is this the Kate Winslet from “Titanic.” Thank the gods, or in this case, Charlie Kaufman & Michel Gondry.
Carrey and Winslet give terrific performances as intriguing characters we haven’t seen them play before, who have to navigate life and love in a world where erasing a bad relationship from your memory is a real option.
Sound a little wacky? Well, it is. And that’s all thanks to a complex and well-constructed story envisioned by the above-mentioned Kaufman and Gondry. Fans of “Being John Malkovich” and “Adaptation” will most likely enjoy Kaufman’s latest twisted journey of a screenplay. Combine that with Gondry’s signature visual style (best known up to this point from his direction of music videos like Bjork’s “Human Behaviour” and Cibo Matto’s “Sugar Water”).
The story unfolds in a mixed up timeframe which leaves us trying to figure out how this puzzle fits together. Much like “Adaptation,” we are taken on a sometimes baffling trip, but in “Eternal Sunshine”, the setting is a more common world than the former film’s somewhat pretentious Hollywood backdrop.
Just when I thought I had figured out what was going to happen next, “Eternal Sunshine” would deliver another unexpected turn. In fact, I wasn’t sure how this love story was going to pan out until the very last scene. That’s pretty damn refreshing in the current movie sea of utter predictability.
Overall, this film is neither sappy nor depressing, but somewhat thought-provoking and even uplifting in that very odd way of which Kaufman seems so fond.
The Bad: Elijah Wood seemed to be the only weak link in the otherwise solid supporting cast of characters. It’s certainly not an awful turn, but he was sharing the screen with some stellar performances that left his more minor part looking dull.
Be forewarned. If you just want to sit back and enjoy a film, then this might not be for you. As with most of Kaufman’s scripts, this film requires an open mind to a more cerebral journey – a very interesting one though.
Frankly: “Eternal Sunshine” is an unconventional love story palatable to even the most cynical of us. At its least, the film delivers a fun ride that keeps you interested. At its best, it re-affirms the importance of every life experience-–even the ones we’d rather just forget.
+ Jeffrey Kroitsch
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