4/4  "I wish I'd stayed." "I wish I'd stayed too."
Gondry and Kaufman combine to do something extraordinary--they make the audience want to believe that love is real. Not a fabrication of hormones and the instinct for self-perpetuation. Not a whimsical figment of our collective imaginati... (read full)

3/4  A film you'll want to remember
A wild ride in the love driven mind of Joel (Jim Carey). Kate Winslet's performance as the free spirited Clementine is spot on. The films talented cast, well written enigmatic storyline, and entertaining abstract cinematography, turns a cr... (read full)

2.5/4  Its trippy but you need to get into it
Oh it is trippy alright It is trippy all over the place. I do not mind a trippy film that is for sure, and I really did like the direction and look, but I just did not care about the characters enough to care about the film. I though the s... (read full)

3/4  Sunshine....yes
This movie was very different. Especially for Jim Carrey. This is one of those movies that proves that even though he acts like a complete goofball in 90% of his movies he is really a versatile and dynamic actor. Same goes for Kate Winslet... (read full)

  Jim Carrey in a romantic movie? what?!
I know what your thinking...Jim Carrey? This movie is a great movie but its hard to get threw the first 30 min. I had to attempt to watch this movie 2 beacuse its hard to get into it. Once you get past the begining it picks up. Rating: 8.6... (read full)

4/4  Wonderful World of Memory Lapse
A wonderful and epically tragicomic, this film left me with a renewed sense of self. Every great once in awhile, a writer will put something to paper that makes you second-guess yourself...makes you....think. And think I did while watchi... (read full)

2.5/4  Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Quick Review
The only movie Jim Carry is in that I can watch.

3.5/4  Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Quick Review
Perhaps the best Jim Carrey movie ever.

4/4  Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Quick Review
A great film that deals with relationships, love and the perils of trying to change the past. Memories and reality meld together with the help of spectacular cinematography. A great story and great performances make this unforgettable.

3.5/4  Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Quick Review
I have only seen this once. It was a really good movie that might have been too hped in my mind. I like the combination of scifi, romance...etc..

5/5 no jokes about my name
  by A. Reinwand
10 THE FILM ITSELF
8.5 VISUALS
10 SOUND
8.0 PACKAGING
7.7 EXTRAS

What is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?
A love story? Yes.
The best performance by Jim Carrey? Yes.
An extremely depressing look at modern romance? Yes.
An instant classic? Yes.

From the first preview I saw of Eternal Sunshine, I was instantly curious as to what this movie would be about. And after watching this film over 3 dozen times, I find something new every single time. Is it kind of confusing to follow with how the plot is set up and the quirky special effects? Yeah, but does that make it hard to enjoy? Absolutely not. Girls who love chick flicks will find something to enjoy and guys who want a film that isn't a normal everyday bore will find something new and interesting here.

The story follows Joel Barish (Jim Carrey, in what I believe is his best performance in his career) as he retraces his memories of his up and down relationship with Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet). After learning that she has erased him from her memory after a series of fights, he quickly and hastily does the same. And then, during the procedure - which is the equivalent of a "night of heavy drinking" - he decides that he'd rather keep the memories than not have any recollection of someone so important in his life. It makes you think, what would you do? Would you erase someone from your mind because it ended badly, or would you keep them because it makes you who you are? The most interesting point is that the film ultimately runs backwards, from the disruptive end of their relationship tracing back to the good times they had when they first met before problems became a main thorn in their side. And it's great to see a film shot this way because I believe most people always think when their personal relationships end, 'how did it go so wrong? Things were just perfect' and this shows that shift between a 'perfect' beginning and an abrupt ending.

The film makes you think, like all great films. The zany plot twists, creative characters and sci-fi type feel of the movie make this an entirely new, fresh experience. few films are this bold or puzzling, and with such an amazingly well known cast, I'm surprised this movie isn't a bigger hit because it definitely should be.

8.5 VISUALS
It's a character driven film, but the special effects come through nicely. When random objects start infiltrating memories they aren't apart of it really gives you a sense of chaos but nothing looks out of place or cheesy.

10 SOUND
One of the best soundtracks in a movie yet. Great collection of songs and a beautiful score by Jon Brion really add another dimension to an already wonderfully underrated film.

8.0 PACKAGING
The cover is simple and not overdone with scenes or characters (usually when film covers have tons of junk of them it means the film is going to be bad) and the menu screen is easy to naviagate although it reuses one of the images from the cover again when there's tons of images they could've used to set up the feel for the film.

7.7 EXTRAS
There's only 6 special features on the single disc set of Eternal Sunshine, and while none truly standout it's still a good collection of features.

1. "A Look Inside" is a behind the scenes look at the movie and people's ideas and thoughts about the project.

2. "A Conversation with Jim Carrey & Michel Gondry" is exactly what the title says. The two men don't really offer alot in terms of information. Short and kind of a fluff piece.

3. Commentary w/ Michel Gondry & Charlie Kaufman. I was expecting more from this commentary. That's not to say that it's bad, but it is a little slow and it's almost impossible to understand what Gondry says half the time.

4. "Deleted Scenes". There are not alot of scenes here and none are necessary for the film (hence why they were cut), and most are usually pretty short. Only a few minutes of scenes.

5. "Polyphonic Spree 'Light & Day' Music Video" is a 3 minute song that has clips from the film over the song. It's kinda creepy since the only change in the scenes is the overexaggerated mouth that moves over the characters' own. Good song though, fits the film well.

6. "Lacuna Commercial" is a 30 second clip about Lacuna by Dr. Howard Mierzwiak.

IN CLOSING
Eternal Sunshine is my second favorite movie (behind Fight Club, of course) for many, many reasons. And this DVD release does a great job with visuals and a masterful score along with some good bonus features. While ultimately I would've liked something a little better or more substantial for special features, I guess that's why there's a 2-dsic special edition I must get my hands on.

9.4/10 "OUTSTANDING"

5/5 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind... I'm Sorry I Forgot the Movie
  by Julian Kennedy (St Pete Florida)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: 9 out of 10: Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman is in a league of his own. If cloning is ever allowed in the United States we need to clone Mr. Kaufman. (If there is any community that will embrace cloning it will be Hollywood. Name any other place in America where nepotism is a religion. Hiring your own clone is the ultimate in nepotism.)

Charlie Kaufman has found that fine line between realistic dialog and interesting dialog. Characters talk, fight and fall in love just like they do in real life. But unlike most movies that try to mirror real life speech Kaufman makes it interesting. (Of course it helps that Kaufman is always throwing in the bizarre; such as adulterous homicidal book authors addicted to sniffing Angel Trumpet or people entering John Malkovich's head.)

Now just imagine if a Kaufman clone could, oh I don't know, help George Lucas write romantic dialog. (If there is anyone who occupies the opposite side of the good dialog screen writing scales its Lucas. His dialog is so wooden it would embarrass a marionette. Plus think of the Variety headline "Kaufman Clone helps pen Clones")

Oh the movie. Eternal Sunshine has some great performances especially by a subdued Jim Carrey. (This should surprise but after his brilliant turn in Man on the Moon, the only real surprise is how with his quiet desperate performance you forget its Carrey.) There is a really good subplot about the goings on at a mind erasure clinic. (The movie sensibly sets it up as a no big deal four-man operation like one of those laser eye surgery places in a strip mall.)

And there is a really realistic romance between Carrey and Kate Winslet that blows most movies away. Currently ranked Fifty-Seventh greatest movie of all time by the IMDb. Eternal Sunshine is one movie you won't be able to get out of your head.


5/5 Timeless.
  by Mchale A. Haiman
I always enjoy movies that are a little out there. Eternal Sunshine passes with flying colors.
This movie is relatable, but not in a way that makes it boring.
We all know the story of having love, losing love, and wanting to make that pain go away.
This movie takes that and twists it so that you can see what life would really have been like without them and how it would be better and worse and why ultimately you are who you are because of what you got out of the person and how you helped mold them.
I like Jim Carrey and it was wonderful to see him take on a more serious role and do so superbly. Kate Winslet can play crazy and out there like no one's business. Kirsten Dunst adds a young fresh twist to the movie along with Elija Wood and Mark Ruffalo plays geeky just perfectly.
I recommend this movie to anyone who likes a mind trip and/ or a movie that is serious without being totally depressing.

5/5 Amazing Film!!!
  by Steven
Usually I like to watch comedies as well as action/adventure films, but this particular movie broadened my horizon to films that transcend typical storytelling. The premise is unique and with a 5-star cast, there is no denying a stellar performance. Granted you must watch the movie with an open mind to fully immerse yourself to this world. Don't expect hilarious comedy and action-packed adventure in this film, but do expect that this movie is one-of-a-kind
-steven

5/5 The persistant heart
  by J. Badger (Bimingham, Al)
This is one of my favorite love stories of all time and to my mind one of the 10 best films of the last 20 years. Be forewarned. It has a quirky premise and characters. The heroine, Clementine, played by Kate Winslett, is on the outs with her lover, Joel, played by Jim Carey. She impulsively decides to try out a new procedure which deletes unwanted memories. She has the memory of her relationship with Joel erased. When Joel finds out, he decides to have his memories of her erased. Most of the movie concerns the night of this erasure, when the unconcious Joel fights desperately to maintain the memory of his lost love. For such an outlandish premise, the movie seems very realistic to me. It poignantly portrays how constant love is and how we cherish our memories of even failed relationships. I don't want to say much more because I don't want to ruin the ending for anyone but, suffice it to say, that this film wonderfully portrays the complexity and permanance of love. It also calls to mind for me the French quotation, which loosely translated says that "the heart has its reasons which reason cannot understand". One final word to those of you who are not fans of Jim Carey. I am not a great fan of Jim Carey in his comic roles. The Jim Carey in this movie seems to be another actor altogether. More that anything else,he seemed like an ordinary guy with a broken heart. Highly recommended.