ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND

What we have here is one of those movies which, while seemingly lauded by everyone else, just does not do it for me, at all. I suspect every moviegoer has experienced films which don't strike the same personal chord that they do with the rest of the cinema world. It certainly has a few things going for it in my book, which I'll mention, but for the most part this Oscar winner comes off as nauseatingly mawkish and glum.

Charlie Kaufman, who brings a great deal of melodrama to most of his films, delivers a screenplay detailing the story of two former lovers who, upon a rocky ending to their relationship of the past, had each other scientifically removed from their memories. This Sci-Fi aspect of the narrative is interesting, but it would have been better used in a film which wasn't trying so hard to leave audiences feeling so damn sappy and wishy-washy. One of the components of the movie that fans and critics praise is the writing. Trust me, I posses entirely capable capacities for romantic and emotional intelligence, but the relationship at the center of this film is in many ways pathetic and gets caught up in a plot which is entirely overcomplicated. In scattered attempts to delve into the memories of the characters, viewers are easily lost. Some of Kaufman's efforts, like "Being John Malkovich", which intelligently balances humor and sentiment, I've thoroughly enjoyed. "Eternal Sunshine" on the other hand just needs to get over itself.

In some of his more lighthearted roles, I guess I don't mind Jim Carrey. "The Truman Show" is an example of the kind of film which has the right amount of oddball humor and clever storyline to magnify his comedic talent at the center of a very good film. In a film like this one however, Carrey is out of his element. Maybe it's because I'm so used to seeing him making strange faces and prompting cheap laughs, but in a deep and dramatically complex role such as this one I feel that he doesn't connect. The bond between Carrey and Kate Winslet, which is truly the focus of the entire story, feels forced, unlikely, and unnatural. I will add however, that Winslet's performance is without a doubt the brightest spot in the film. Perhaps the strength of her eccentric turn is what makes Carrey come off so bland.  

Many fans of this film, surprising as it is to think that there are many, would likely say that I am simply missing the point. But I do get the point. I do understand what the movie is trying to spoon feed me. The themes of failed, forgotten love and loneliness are effective and poignant in movies that make you care. "Eternal Sunshine" fails to make me care. By the time the tedious story makes its way to the pay off, I was too tired of Jim Carrey's sickly, miserable mood to maintain interest in the relations between the characters.

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is disorganized and histrionic. It quickly becomes tired and dull, and is one of the most painfully obvious attempts at emotion that movies have ever given us. I enjoy the Winslet performance, and the idea of exploring memory is often interesting, but both would have been better put to use in a film which avoids all of the repellent pathos. I know I am in the minority here, but this holds a spot among the most overrated movies of all time. The most maudlin moments of the picture are simply headache inducing. If someone were to offer to erase this from my memory of movie experiences, I don't think I would object.

RATING: 4/10