Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Another great film from the incredible mind of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation). Jim Carrey plays Joel, a depressed man looking to cope with the break up of his relationship to Clementine (Kate Winslet). He goes for a procedure where a soft-spoken doctor (Tom Wilkinson) can erase memories from the brain. We see inside Joel’s head as his memories begin to vanish, and he chooses to fight the procedure. An ingenious idea executed nicely by director Michel Gondry who, like Spike Jonze and George Clooney before him, knows what to do with an eccentric Kaufman idea. Carrey delivers his best dramatic performance to date, minus all the usual manic Carrey bells and whistles. Winslet is touching and funny as Clementine, making it no mystery as to why Joel would fight a procedure erasing her from his brain. Kirsten Dunst and Mark Ruffalo are good in supporting performances. Look for the hilarious David Cross as Joel’s grouchy pothead friend.