Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #504 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-10-04
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 103 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Screenwriters rarely develop a distinctive voice that can be recognized from movie to movie, but the ornate imagination of Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation) has made him a unique and much-needed cinematic presence. In Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a guy decides to have the memories of his ex-girlfriend erased after she's had him erased from her own memory--but midway through the procedure, he changes his mind and struggles to hang on to their experiences together. In other hands, the premise of memory-erasing would become a trashy science-fiction thriller; Kaufman, along with director Michel Gondry, spins this idea into a funny, sad, structurally complex, and simply enthralling love story that juggles morality, identity, and heartbreak with confident skill. The entire cast--Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Wilkinson, and more--give superb performances, carefully pitched so that cleverness never trumps feeling. A great movie. --Bret Fetzer

Synopsis
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND is an unconventional romance told in the abstract, inventive, and comedic storytelling style of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. Like his scripts for ADAPTATION and BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, this plot works off of a relatively complex idea that is easier explained through language of film than through words. In its most basic description, Joel (Jim Carrey) is undergoing a medical procedure to erase the memory of his ex-girlfriend, Clementine (Kate Winslet). However, while he is unconscious and the procedure is underway, he takes a journey through his mind, re-living moments with Clementine for fear of losing her forever. Using disjointed sound and action, foggy periods indicating Joel's confusion, and flashbacks to childhood where objects appear much bigger than they are to adult eyes, the cinematography communicates Joel's dilemma with visual hilarity. Only occasionally is the film laugh-out-loud funny; instead it is much more deeply and darkly amusing as the absurdity of the situation grows. ETERNAL SUNSHINE is nothing short of brilliant--a credit to director Michel Gondry (who has a topnotch reputation for his aesthetic music videos by artists such as Bjork). Carrey is wonderfully understated in the role of a simpleminded nice guy, and his signature goofiness is used only a handful of times. Winslet too is almost unrecognisable as she lights up the screen with her blue hair and orange sweatshirt, playing a lively free spirit and loose cannon. There are also strong supporting performances by Kirsten Dunst, Elijah Wood, and Mark Ruffalo, along with an excellent score by Jon Brion and a soundtrack of songs by E.L.O. and The Polyphonic Spree. The film's conclusion promises to satisfy viewers; it offers a beautiful metaphor for the end of a love affair that brings perfect closure to this excellent film.

Customer Reviews

I Can't Get This One Out Of My Head
I watched this film over two days ago, and have found it increasingly difficult to think of anything else since. An unnassuming, honest, off-beat, film , 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' is one of those movies that will grow on you and make you want to watch it time and time again, and is intelligent and thought-provoking enough to keep you captivated on repeated viewings.

Boasting none of the usual hollywood glitz, though the cast list is definately something to show off about, 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' follows the shy, quite and often seemingly 'boring' Joel Barish, who, after dating a girl called Clementine for several years visits her one day, only to discover she has no recollection of who he is and has in fact had him intentionally and entirely erased from her memory. Joel, distaught, hurt and confused, visits the place where Clementine had her memories of him erased and chooses to do the same to his memories of her. However, once made unconcious so the procedure could occur, he re-lives each of the memories as the team (Patrick, Frank, Stan and Mary) are trying to erase them, and suddenly decides that this may not really be what he wants. As the viewer we are given the chance to see Clem and Joel's relationship through these memroies, how they met, the good times, the bad, why Clem finally decided she no longer wanted to have Joel as part of her life - or memory. And we also watch as Joel discovers that he doesn't, in fact, want to erase Clem from his life forever, and we sit at the edge of our seat willing Joel to find a way to keep his memories safe forever.

I think 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' is a brilliant film, probably my second favourite film I have ever watched (the first being' A Beautiful Mind'). However, I do realise it's limitations too. It feels like a low budget movie (whether it is or not I do not know) despite boasting many hollywood stars in the cast list. However, I feel that this definately adds to the movie rather than takes away from it - it gives the film a sense of character, of individusality, as well as fitting the story well - for neither of the main characters live a glamourous life, so for the film to be filmed in that style would have been untrue to itself. Another limitation some may note would be teh actual story - the idea of having a person fully erased from your memory is absurd, howver, like certain other science-fictional stories I have seen or read (such as the novel, 'The Time Traveller's Wife') the absurdity of the idea comes second to the story, and the message of the story. The film is set in the real world, in our time, so it is easy to forget that memories cannot just simply be erased, and instead, as the viewer you pay attention to the story, and what the film is trying to ultimatley say.

The acting in this film is superb. Jim Carrey (who I have only ever seen in comedic roles previously) makes a breathtaking transformation into a serous role as Joel Barish, pulling off the character of a quite, shy loner with far more integrity and skill than I would have ever believed possible. Kate Winslet too made a startling change in my eyes from the only other role I'd seen her in (Rose in Titanic) to the gritty, fun-loving, unique, emotional, impulsive and incredibly chatty Clementine, who's ever-changing bright coloured hair makes the passage of time in the film slighlty easier to follow. I think my favourite performance however was by Mark Ruffalo as Stan, and this is the second time Ruffalo has blown me away with a role and he will certainly be someone who I will keep my eye on in the fuiture - he is an incredibly gifted actor.

I don't want to say too much about this film as I don't want to give much away. I will say though that the final scenes were very emotionally powerful (which surpirsed me)and that, although the film is only about an hour anda half in length, the character development throughout makes it feel like you have known the main two characters, Joel and Clem, for many years, and you end up caring for them as you would for two good friends, wanting them both to be happy. The film worked enough to have me willing Joel to hide his memory's from the 'evil' eraser team, to remember Clem, and go back to her and make her remember him too, but wehther that happens or not I will not say - you'll just have to watch and see. All I will say is that there are a few surprises that I definaetly was not expecting, that this film is not as predictable as you may expect, it being a love story and all.

Extremely Original
I am very critical with movies and Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind is definitely one of my favourite 3 films ever. It is not only very romantic and original, it is mind-blogging. It is about the inaccuracy of memory, how you want to change your past, your painful experiences.
Jim Carrey is perfect, although I particularly do not like him in other movies. I saw it about 4 times and would definitely recommend it.

Heart wrenching drama
Jim Carrey (The Truman show) stars as Joel, a man who learns his girlfriend has had him erased from her memory. Not wanting to suffer, Joel goes in for the same procedure.

Eternal Sunshine is a true romantic drama, telling a realistic and dramatic tale of relationships, through the good and the bad, and with some stunning performances, writing and direction, make a wonderful heart wrenching drama.

Carrey gives one of his finest performances as Joel, a man wanting to erase his girlfriend from his memory. We saw Carrey's wonderful dramatic side in The Truman Show, and here he builds on it with a deep and moving performance as a lonely and upset man, and is brilliant alongside Oscar nominated Kate Winslet (Titanic).

Winslet gives an outstanding performance as Joel's girlfriend Clementine, one of her finest onscreen roles. The two have great onscreen chemistry and create the necessary drama to go with a wonderful written plot.

Though slightly confusing, the plot has all the right elements to justify the romantic drama genre, including a realistic portrayal of relationships, the good, the bad and the easy and the hard. The good times the pair go through, including lying on an ice pond and observing the constellations are what dreams are made of, and the accusations of nights out without your partner are what nightmares consist of, giving the film the realism required to justify the genre and the reason behind the memory being erased.

The ideology of memory erasure has no doubt been in the mind of anyone who has had a truly bad relationship or experience, and the dramatic twists Eternal Sunshine gives will make you think again.

Great support is given by Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings), Mark Ruffalo (Zodiac) and Kirsten Dunst's (Spider-man) best ever performance.

Flashbacks of Joel and Clementine's time together are directed well, with some comedic moments, including a 4 year old Joel, which is Carrey at his comedic best.

The plot loses a bit of ground by jumping around at different times during the opening credits, not to mention the ending will require another watch, but is definitely worth it

8.5/10