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• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one of the most unique films I have ever seen. Like many movies about failed relationships, it is sweet and sentimental, but it is also bizarre. The narrative is so complex and the images so unusual that it can be difficult to follow the first time. The best things are worth working for, though, and Eternal Sunshine truly is one of the best.

Eternal Sunshine tells the story of Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet) and how they each erase their failed relationship from their memories. Clementine goes to Lacuna, Inc. to request the procedure. After a heartbroken Joel discovers what she has done, he requests the same procedure. After one night in which lab techs remove the specific memories as Joel sleeps, he won’t remember a thing about Clementine. As the techs go backwards through their relationship, Joel realizes that he wants to remember, and he fights to keep a piece of their relationship in his memory. The backwards narrative of their relationship mixes with the narrative of the present to reveal that everything at Lacuna is not as perfect as it seems.

The great thing about this movie is how it seems so real despite the sometimes surreal storyline. The relationship between Joel and Clementine seems genuine even as portrayed in memories that are literally deteriorating around them. The visuals are amazing as faces and places are erased before Joel’s and the audience’s eyes. Eternal Sunshine combines the talents of Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman, a director and writer known for making bizarre films. This film is one of the best, though, because it combines the real and the surreal to make a beautiful effect.