Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is an emotional and a deep movie that perfectly weaves together storytelling, themes and astounding acting performances from both Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey. The concept of the movie is similar to many Christopher Nolan films such as "Inception". The first 20 minutes of the movie moves pretty slow and some viewers might find it hard to get hooked right away. However, the later acts of the movie are so beautifully played out. Jim Carrey proving he is more than just a comedic actor and Kate Winslet also bring depth and authenticity to the character. The main characters were well developed and played out but I found the side characters less developed and the screen time they received felt like it was limited (i.e.: Mary's and Howard's relationship) . The film beautifully handles romance and the complexity of human emotions really well. The "Meet me in Montauk" motif was so subtle and elegant, some chills were sent down my spine. The film stands at a runtime of 1 hours and 45 minutes and yet the pace seems a bit sluggish at some parts which might not suit to all audiences who seeks for fast paces narratives. Overall this is such a beautifully crafted movie that tackles deep emotions, lovable and relatable characters accompanied by strong cast of actors. A flawed masterpiece in storytelling.
I avoided this movie for many years simply because of Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet .. both would be on the bottom of my actors I seek out for movies list. I’m sorry I waited this long. This is a really good movie that I will think about for some time to come. I have always believed in the idea that I’d never take back any of the things that have happened in my life because for good, bad or indifferent, they have contributed to who and what I am today. Are there memories or even people I’d erase from my mind ... at different times I thought maybe it would be easier to live life without the pain of situations that maybe moulded me in ways that caused me to take longer to get from there to here but, ultimately, I think no. The curious thing about this movie is the adage, if you love someone set them free and if it was meant to be, they’ll return. So even if you erased them .. is destiny, fate, karma, a bigger determination of how life will be and who will be in it? Such an interesting idea to explore.
Review by Nancy L DraperVIP 8BlockedParent2017-06-28T01:59:50Z— updated 2017-07-01T14:21:43Z
This is another tough one for me to rate. I loved the beginning and the end. I had trouble with the cacophony of the middle.
But, even so, I recognise the brilliance of the writing, the talent of the cast, and the complexity of the story. Brilliant SciFi/Romance premise, difficult to execute. It was nominated for 2 Oscars: one for Kate Winslet, and the one for that for which it won - Best Writing, Original Screenplay (2005).
What puzzled me for most of the movie, was how it managed to attract so talented a cast, but, by the end of the movie, I understood the unexpected depths there were to be mined.
I have to confess that as a Canadian I have always been embarrassed by my dislike, of what the world credits as comedic genius, of Jim Carey movies (he is a Canadian export). What stunned me about this movie, from the beginning, was how good a dramatic actor Jim is (who knew? I even found him handsome, once again, who knew?). And Kate Winslet as an erratic grunge, that was a hard sell. I didn't like the character Clementine throughout the movie, which made it hard to keep watching, especially when, at the centre of it, this is a love story. But, then, at the end of the film, her character resolves, bringing unexpected depths (thus the Oscar nomination). This movie was throwing inconsistencies at me from the beginning, and I was intrigued, irritated, bored, and finally, moved.
So, I'm sitting here, looking at the rating, as it taunts me to make a proclamation. So, I give it a 7.5 (brilliant in spasms) out of 10. I'll not watch it again, but, it does have something about it that is worthy of an attempt - it may be exactly what you were looking for.