Unlearn as you sleep
Hearing that his ex-girlfriend (Kate Winslet’s character) has undergone an experimental procedure to remove all trace of him from her memories, Jim Carrey’s character decides to retaliate and undergoes the same procedure himself. As he lies asleep and goes through this complex process, we get to peer inside is mind and witness each memories of his ex-girlfriend as he lives them for one last time before it is excised permanently. Since this process is non-linear - like memory itself - we experience these events out of sequence. This creates a truly weird narrative where we discover the secrets behind this stormy yet loving relationship through a constantly evolving kaleidoscope of memories
But these are no mere flashbacks. Carrey’s character eventually becomes aware of what is being done to him and his passive state quickly becomes some kind of waking dream. As he tries to take back control of his faculties, the memories themselves are altered and take new, unexpected directions. This is the heart of the movie as Carrey’s character comments the memories with the benefit of hindsight. The memories of his childhood are particularly moving and it is no wonder, as we learn in the DVD extras that they were inspired in part from Carrey’s very own childhood memories.
Kaufman Strikes Again
Like all the movies written by Andy Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a mind-bending trip - a thoroughly unsettling and exhilarating experience. Although here again Kaufman deals with many classic themes such as personal identity, experimental use of narration, etc., Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.
Watching this movie, I felt the heartbreaking nostalgia of times past as I watched Carrey’s character struggle to keep hold of his memories of Kate’s character. Even knowing that a relationship was doomed to sour, that even though all the small hurts may eventually accumulate into an insurmountable wound, living the precious moments of joy and intimate discoveries of this other, fascinating person we once fell in love with may be worth it anyway.
A Carrey for the new millenium
A fact well worth mentioning is that, in this movie, Jim Carrey is actually quite subdued and exceptionally touching. My girlfriend usually can’t stand his antics and I had to trick her into seeing this movie. Although she was not as touched as myself about this movie (she felt it was a movie about madness), she appreciated the fact that Carrey left his bag of tricks aside for once, funny faces and all, and gave his best.
So although this cannot be considered “romantic movie evening” material, it is definitely worth watching if you’re looking for a thoughtful, unique and engrossing movie experience.
