Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind

Forum

What an amazing movie. A new way to see our dreams, our own fears, our mind. Creatively explosive dialogue, together with great performances and a very coherent use of special effects. A classic.

>>By Hooliocesar   (Friday, 23 Apr 2004 19:52)



I think that this is going to become recognised as a classic. It works on so many different levels, and does so as a whole - its beautifully realised, and i loved the way in which (imperfectly, like memory itself) it started a third of the way through the story and then looped back.

I think that Carrey is a greatly underrated actor - he has been sublime in some of his serious roles - but its a telling sign of how well the film works that even Kate Winslet, who has the thankless task of bringing to life a role where the character is unsympathetic, comes across extremely well (and this is a comment by someone who has not liked anything else she has ever done). It's also good to see a film which is not only not scared about addressing "difficult" ideas - like identity, and subjective memory, and how much of what we are is down to personal choice and not just other factors - but which also embraces them AND does so in such a way that the special effects are used ONLY to serve the story, and NOT to show off.

This is a very good, smart, funny,sour,sad,sweet,intelligent and thought provoking film, and one which, I suspect, will bear up to repeated viewings. If you care about smart film making, I would urge you to see it.

>>By Neddy   (Sunday, 30 May 2004 22:30)



HavenĀ“t seen it yet, but I am looking forwart to see Elijah on the screen again....

>>By Starchild   (Sunday, 27 Jun 2004 04:50)



Pretty damn good film. Makes me want to beg Jim for more dramatic roles in the future. Unfortunately I walked into the theatre about three or four minutes late and missed the beginning (which I assume was as crucial as the rest of the film).

>>By Hume Ungus   (Wednesday, 21 Jul 2004 18:22)



I thought this movie was amazing. I havn't really paid attention to Jim Carrey's serioius roles. But he truly did a phenomenal job with this. Sound track just blows me away to.

>>By 7L-weenie   (Friday, 23 Jul 2004 01:10)



This is the only film I have ever returned to the cinema to watch for a second time! Amazing!

It had the correct blend of characterisation and thought provoking motifs which culminated into a perfect incomplete ending. The themes of unavoidable fate and planned coincidence were not only evident in the main plot, but were cleverly echoed in a sub-plot involving the conductors of memory erasing who paid the price for their business.

Carrey's and Winslet's performances were spot-on in my opinion and the journey of their characters from middle to beginning to end to backwards to beginning again created an incredible pace and intensity which was surprisingly calm and soothing. I do agree with 7L-weenie in that this is largely aided by an apt soundtrack.

Intelligence is definetly behind this film and it entertains the concept of how we are bound to certain things in our lives and no matter what we do, they are meant for us, in whatever shape or form - with the same result. A result which should be accepted as Carrey's character replies with a willing "OK" to the problems Winslet outlines will await them.

>>By mathu   (Sunday, 25 Jul 2004 01:11)



What a great piece of work. All the elements were right in place. The screenplay by mad-genius Charlie Kaufman, the direction by Michel Gondry, and of course the brilliant acting jobs by Carrey and Winslet.
Unfortunately, I work in a Blockbuster in a small town and people there tend to go for movies like Soul Plane and Walking Tall. So, I get responses to Eternal Sunshine like, "That movie was stupid!" or "I kept skipping chapters to see if it would get any better." Sad really.

>>By The Walrus   (Wednesday, 6 Oct 2004 19:02)



wow. this movie was completely mind-blowing. i don't know much else to say about it, other than it is definately a must-see and everyone who cares about great filmaking should definately look into it.

>>By xx_timp_xx   (Saturday, 16 Oct 2004 05:53)



Its got Kirsten Dunce dancing stoned in her undies. A must see.

>>By spikee   (Thursday, 21 Oct 2004 03:45)



how happy is the blameless vestals lot?
the world forgetting, by the world forgot.
eternal sunshine of the spotless mind...
i cant remember the rest but its a beautiful movie with really personal undertones. everytime i see it i notice something new.

>>By solace   (Wednesday, 3 Nov 2004 05:00)



this movie is absolutely superb. . .even without the special effects (which were gorgeous by the way). . .the dialogue alone was ingenious. . .the casting was perfect. . .this was just such a great film. . .

sometimes when things in life don't work out for the best. . .us as humans tend to regret. . .and want to forget. . .

but watching this movie makes you realize that all memories and experiences. . .good or bad. . .shape you into the being that you are. . .instead of regretting and forgetting things that you have done. . .

learn from them. . .and become a stronger and better person. . .

>>By drowninginflame   (Monday, 8 Nov 2004 18:40)



wicked direction, comedic melancholy at it's recent best. A definite addition to the A-list of "What if it were true....." genre of movies.

>>By SoulFly   (Thursday, 11 Nov 2004 04:36)



Great movie, great actors. It seems that Jim Carrey has stopped wasting his enormous talent. A must see!
PS Kirsten Dunst is sooo hot on here! :-)

>>By ZoT   (Friday, 19 Nov 2004 18:04)



absolutely fantastic. I have so much more respect for jim carrey when he does films like this.. good man that carrey

>>By Pediophobia   (Sunday, 5 Dec 2004 04:05)



Firstly, i would have to agree with everyone who has gone before me in expressing my utmost respect for the way 'difficult' themes such as unaviodable fate, the fallibility of human emotion and the unreliability of so comforting a thing as memory have been dealt with. however, my overriding emotion upon watching this film was that of extreme joy at such a fervent suggestion of love existing on a truly higher plane. the two leads love each other despite themselves, a beautiful concept. as a medical student, i am continuously bombarded with the idea that emotion is purely physiological, serotonin levels etc. so for me this film was like a breath of fresh air.
if you have not seen this film, you are missing out. watch it immediately and become a better person.

>>By Polgara   (Sunday, 5 Dec 2004 17:35)



I was not blown away. I think that winslett was unbelievable and I also think it's unbelievable that she's up for an oscar. She looks/acts like she should be a CEO in a boardroom -- even with the hair. Carey was good, as almost always. The movie had interesting elements, but it wasn't as creative as Being John Malkovic or Adaptation. Fortunately, I downloaded the movie from movielink and got the 99cent (actually 90cent in this case) movie of the day. Well worth 90cents!

>>By Akubra   (Wednesday, 26 Jan 2005 05:50)



Another great movie. One of the best of 2004, in my opinion. I loved Jim Carrey in it, he did an absolutely amazing job in this film.

>>By xfadetobrightx   (Sunday, 6 Feb 2005 02:45)



is kaufman going to get away with Another movie in which the actor talks to himself as in adaptations too??? if so, i skip that one.

>>By coca   (Sunday, 6 Feb 2005 03:51)



A great movie With Carrey and Winslet turning in the best performances to date but something stopped me from loving it and i'm almost certain i got what it was trying to say about memories etc. If anyone wants to say what they thought the film was about maybe i missed out on something that was meant to be said.

>>By tortallan-chic   (Saturday, 14 May 2005 09:50)



never seen it ........ but i want to !
Elijah is one of my most favorite actors

>>By An Evil Girl   (Monday, 13 Jun 2005 02:49)



before i saw this film i was not a fan of jim Carrey at all. in fact, i found him pretty irritating. However, after seeing him in this film i feel completely differently. He is a great actor! And, in a serious role like this, he's brilliant. This film was one of the best films i saw last year. the cast is great and, more importantly, the story is phenomenal.

>>By mazucan   (Tuesday, 6 Dec 2005 22:49)



This movie blew my mind !!!! I loveeee everyone in this movie, and the whole idea of it, and the effects, and everything ! amazing :D

>>By GINAcolada   (Wednesday, 11 Jan 2006 19:52)



I reviewed this ages ago, and have watched it a few times since, and am still amazed by how many small details I am still picking up. Great, great movie. And at heart and at bottom, dead funny.

>>By Neddy   (Monday, 16 Jan 2006 19:34)



I need soone to explain something here. In the beginning of the movie Jim meets the girl on the train. He has his first conversation and they introduce themselves to each other. Later in the movie, Jim says that he met her for the first time at the beach party . Is this an ooopppps in the story or am I missing something?

>>By coca   (Friday, 27 Jan 2006 16:39)



This films is probably the most over rated film of the century along with Amelie Poulain. Rubbish pseudo-intellectual film. If I'm to watch an "intelligent film" I'd rather watch the real thing even if it means sitting in front of a Godard film.
Rubbish.

>>By hadji baba   (Friday, 27 Jan 2006 17:07)



pseudo-intellectual????
no no
it may have utilized some fancy graphics & forced perspective techniques
but it was far from meaningless...................
it worked
on so many different levels as well.......
i loved it
your memories are who you are................
remove them & you remove yourself
& the way
(as the starting credits rolled)
it began with all the anguish
joel (carrey) felt
& all the hurt & resentment
they had for each other
then it went back
it showed us & carrey
why he loved winslet's character clemintine...........
& also
something very clever i thought....
mary (kirsten dunst) had her memory removed
of her relationship with her boss
but she fell for him again
& jim carrey
& kate winslett had their memories removed
but they still liked each other
when the re-met
it shows
that we'd make the same mistakes again...............our mistakes mould who we are...............beautiful

'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'

>>By Tchock   (Sunday, 27 Aug 2006 00:50)



I love the surrealistic nature of this movie; it was like some sort of dream or acid trip; but it also had a universal moral that we can all relate to. this is one of the best films ever made and I highly recommend it to everyone.

Sometimes when something so wonderful in my life has ended badly, I've wished I could erase the even completely from my mind so I wouldn't have the pain of reminiscing...this movie, however, made me realize that no matter how things end up you can always learn something from your life experiences and take something beautiful from them.

I hated that they classified this as a "romantic comedy"- it was a surrealistic, cutting-edge drama with some funny aspects, but the subject of brain alteration is absolutely serious in my point of view,.

>>By LastCaress18   (Saturday, 21 Oct 2006 02:44)



I wish I could remove this film from my memory so I could watch it again and enjoy it as much as I did the first time. Maybe I would anyway though. I wanna see it again now.

>>By Flagg   (Saturday, 21 Oct 2006 10:38)



The discussion board is currently closed.