Well, it wasn't that I missed anything (or much) that was my problem, it was the way the story was presented. I didn't hate it, but it was a bit disorganized and jarring to watch. I'll see about checking it out again before I have to return it, but I can't promise anything.

A bit surprised, I thought of the movies I'd recommend you, you'd surely like Closer the least.

Heh. Under the Tuscan Sun next!

I was surprised, too. Eternal Sunshine was the one I thought I would like best. Under the Tuscan Sun is next. Not sure if it will be tonight, as Sunday night TV viewing has a grip on me these days. If I can fit ESOTSM in again, I'll give it another chance. It may have been my mood last night. I wasn't in a bad mood or anything, but maybe I wasn't in the right mood for that type of movie.

For instance, one big thing that I noticed was that after you see the whole movie once - there are alot of scenes from the beginning that now make more sense or you realize better how they happened as they really happen in the middle - not the beginning - of the story.

So the comments about about it being jarring and disorganized come into a much better focus and the layout of the movie is actually very cool.

*****************************

Just speaking for myself, I usualyy get something out of a second viewing as in the first you are concentrating hard on following the story but in the second or later viewings you don't have to follow the story as closely and I usually pick up other things that were missed in the first viewing.

I thought I would like this more than I did. I myself find it to be overrated as well. It's still "good" though.

Grade: 6/10 (B-)

ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND - 6/10 (B-)

This movie was just way too weird. It was kind of confusing at times. It was interesting though most of the way, but I did find myself a little bored every once in awhile because of it being so weird.

Kate Winslet looked cute in it. I liked the hair, especially the blue hair. And I liked her character too at first in the beginning, but then once we see how pissy she becomes I didn't like her as much. I didn't end up caring if they got back together or not because things will just end up the same anyway. Relationships don't stay fun and exciting, they get boring once you've been together awhile and things aren't new anymore. So if you're going to bail because of that then there's really no point in being together in the first place since it will happen sooner or later. Winslet's character was too impulsive and gave up too easily. It's kind of pointless for the two characters to get together because this will just happen again (not the memory erasing part but they'll get bored with each other and end up fighting again).

It wasn't a bad movie, and I did really like some aspects of it, but overall I found it way too weird.

But I did find it cool how Jim Carrey's character and I have the same stereo , which was seen toward the end when he's listening to the tape.


Anyway, I highly recommend BEING JOHN MALKOVICH (8/10 or A-) over this movie. I found it much better.

Eeeewwww... 2 C+'s! just kidding...

Eh, I decided to give this a bump since I rewatched this a couple of days ago and I wanted to look over what others thought... I think this is definatly one of my all time favorites. (maybe even top 5 material...) I am sooo going to redo my top 50 list, the other one wasn't so good...

A+

Awesome, awesome movie. So well written, so well executed, such great performances. 2004's 2nd best movie, and the 2nd A+ awarded from me from that year(1. Garden State). Carrey got snubbed, as the supporting castmates Dunst and Wilkenson, who I feel both should've been frontrunning contenders, as they were excellent. Ruffalo and Wood were pitch-perfect as well. I'm glad I rented this tonight, as it satisfied my completely.

I rewatched it yesterday evening, and I must say the second viewing was incredibly more moving for me than the first one even tried to achieve. I highly recommend this movie, whether you've seen it already or not. Even if you have sene it, you may not have gotten all that you think you did out of it. I definitely did not.

A-


I just say that I agree with all those saying that this movie really gets better in hindsight, when you think about it a little and let it settle down in your mind. After my first viewing I was a bit underwhelmed considering the hype, but since then I let this movie go through my mind again and kept finding it better and better. Not to say that it is a flawless movie. I, for one, found Elijah Wood's character rather unnecessary and I thought some of the stuff going on in Joel's brain was somewhat pointless (but I guess that was the actual point, hehe).

However, once you manage to get past the sci-if-ish plot and all the weird stuff going on, you'll discover one of the most honest, most genuine and most enchanting love stories to be ever told on film. Without a doubt, Eternal Sunshine had the best original screenplay of all 2004 movies and won the Oscar for it very deservingly. Charlie Kaufman is a screenwriting genius. It is incredible how "real" this movie actually is despite all the surreal stuff going on in the film. It reflects relationships, love and loss of it better than most other films ever made on this topic.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is also an artistic achievement. Some scenes are simply ingeniously creative and innovative. The art direction and the editing are top-notch. However, what truly stands out about the film are its two leads. Kate Winslet got the accolades she deserved for the movie, but I was actually even more impressed by Jim Carrey who was shamefully snubbed at the Oscars and delivered the best performance of his career thus far, topping his turn in The Truman Show. His scenes in the film are bittersweet and heartbreaking at the same time.

I alos must say that I liked the movie's soundtrack quite a bit, especially the "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometimes" song. Moreover, the subplot with Tom Wilkinson and Kirsten Dunst was a very well-thought-out one and woven well into the main story. While the movie itself shifts from sad to happy most of the time, the ending is definitely optimistic and very sweet. The final 30 minutes of the movie are definitely the best thing about it and stand out of all the rest.

It is not an eay film to see and I understand why someone would not like it on the first viewing (even though I did), but I recommend giving it another try.

This is an incredible blend of the complexity of love, life, relationships, and people. It is never completely cynical, yet never completely romantic, and emerges as a beautiful film. Not glossy beauty, but genuine beauty. The real deal.

Let's dig right into it, shall we.

Kate Winslet's performance is so brilliant because she feels like a real person. Her character oozes with personality. This is unlike most performances where you feel you are watching an actor vying for an Oscar nomination. You see them as an actor. In this case, Winslet gets lost in this character. I'm also always impressed when Winslet can so easily lose her accent for a role. I think I would consider this Kate Winslet's best performance in her career.

This is also the first film where Jim Carrey loses his antics well, and plays off a more subdued part well. I felt he was awkward in The Majestic, but he really nails this film. I think he covers the role nicely. You can see how the character is one of those people who don't normally speak out and don't want to draw attention. He is very much opposite of Winslet's character, and he definately works well in conjunction with her. His role wasn't showy, but it was still well crafted.

Kirstun Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, and Elijah Wood are all very suitable. They work in the film because they simply pull off good performances, nothing more and nothing less. We don't want to see these characters stand out too much, because ultimately it is Joel and Clementine that require the attention. Dunst, Ruffalo, and Wood all do not stick out like sore thumbs, and therefore complete the film as a solid ensemble. Tom Wilkinson I wanted to mention by himself, since I thought he was very strong. He had very little, but spoke volumes. That's the sign of a great supporting actor. The scene where his wife drives up on the road and there is confrontation is an extremely well played out scene, and I particularly enjoy his face during this scene.

There is no better word than 'genius' in describing Charlie Kaufman. His screenplay absolutely shines. I felt the film deserved more at the Oscars, but I am still incredibly appreciative that Kaufman won for Best Original Screenplay. Enormously deserving. He has written a relationship like none other I have seen so far. We see a relationship unfold in front of our eyes, and the film successfully expresses a real relationship, one which has the good times and the hard times, and puts out the message that more often than not, the happiness outweighs the crap. The film quite literally breaks down the relationship moment by moment, in such a creative way, that I felt completely exposed to it. There were many moments when I felt I could relate to and could understand the annoying, awkward, or simply "stupid" parts of a relationship. And there were moments when I could see real fun, real love that I have witnessed and hope one day to enjoy myself.

The direction works hand in hand with the screenplay. It is so clear that Kaufman and Gondry were united in their goals and understanding of the story, and while Kaufman's screenplay is so great, it required a director that would handle it correctly. Gondry deserves credit for handling it perfectly. The cinematography and the editing are top notch, and I enjoyed the score very much.

Overall, everyone involved was so united in their vision and their skill, and therefore create one of the best films I have ever seen. It easily appears somewhere near the top of my best films list.

A

A-

Very interesting film that actually made me put the popcorn down. The direction, the screenplay and the performances were all top notch. What let the film down was the happy ending. It was too clean.

A-... I think Carrey put on a amazing performance and the movie was just great. It was a interesting plotine and I wanted to know what was going on. The ending was great I thought. Good solid movie.

My second favorite film of all time. A+

It's in my all-time top five as well. Incredible movie. A+

This was certainly a cool sci-fi artsy romance movie, and while I did enjoy it, I definitely found it lacking compared to Kaufman's last movie - the absolutely perfect Adaptation. I put it down to the director - Michel Gondry, who made a mess of Human Nature also. I'm waiting for his upcoming Synecdoche with Spike Jonze back at the helm...

4 out of 5.

Never seen the whole movie, always end up falling to sleep on it

It's in my top 5 of all time. Brilliance.

What an extremely engaging movie. Kate Winslet shines in her role as Clementine, turning in a performace that is humerous, heartfelt, and oftentimes breathtakingly sad. Jim Carrey is at his best here. I would love for him to continue to find roles such as this rather than the typical comedies he does. The writing, directing, and other acting are all top notch. The final twenty minutes results in some of the most memorable scenes in movie history. That final scene in the hallway is all you could ask for and more.

A

Maverikk and I agree on something for once. Overrrrrrrated.

It's a fantastic screenplay with fantastic performances. Highly recommend.

-A

I'm still chuckling at Loyal's justification of ESOTSM over in this Cinemania thread:

This was one of the smartest movies (in terms of writing) that i've seen. The performances were amazing as well. Kate Winslet steals the movie, Jim Carrey is great as well, though I didn't like elijah wood and mark ruffallo too much. Kirsten Dunst got better as the movie progressed.

One thing I couldn't get about this concept that the movie is based, the erasing, is how it won't work as most people have friends/family whose minds are not erased and would then spoil the erasure? (is that a word? lol) But other than that though crossing my mind, the movie was great. I loved the random changes of scenery/weather/deconstructions of buildings. Very beautiful movie.

A

I think Lacuna might contact your family/friends and let them know you are doing it so they don't "spoil" it for you. Didn't the friends of Joel have something saying that Clementine erased him and they weren't supposed to say anything to him?

I might have missed that (i was folding clothes during the first part of the movie).. That would make a lot more sense if that happens