“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”: Michel Gondry's movie reviews

A truly talented and very unusual film by the French director Michel Gondry has long been a classic. In all kinds of ratings, the film occupies a top position, and lovers of high-quality cinema stubbornly recommend it for viewing to all adherents of everything strange and extraordinary.

Reviews and critical opinions

On the one hand, it is not clear why the picture “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” is so good: the reviews are full of negative comments and comments of people who did not understand the idea of ​​the film. Of course, this does not make the film bad, but its idea message did not reach the masses, and this caused irritation for many. However, the fact is clear: the film is very popular, and true film enthusiasts consider it their duty to replenish the library with a licensed disc with the picture "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." Reviews on movie sites say that people appreciate this movie not only for its ideological and stunning acting, but also for its high-quality picture and simply incredible scenery with a budget of 20 million.

Arthouse or the desire for originality?

This picture was especially strongly affected by lovers of everything related to postmodernism, since its natural embodiment is “The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”. Reviews of film critics confirm this opinion. The genre of postmodernism is becoming increasingly popular in modern culture. Perhaps this is because viewers are already tired of bored interpretations of the same topics and exploitation of old classic stories. Now, if the director and screenwriters come up with something new and really fresh, they become real heroes in the eyes of sophisticated film enthusiasts. Most likely, this unusual and “incomprehensible” effect is due to the popularity of the painting “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”. Reviews of even the most inadequate fans of cinema in the genre of arthouse regularly praise this film, as its plot and artistic performance very much inspire thoughts about this genre.

Romance and sad memories

“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” is a tidbit for young people, especially for those representatives who are struggling to stand out. The plot of the picture will surely appeal to those who have a "fine mental organization" or just recently experienced a painful break. The film tells about the relationship between two people, Joel and Clementine, who decided to erase each other from memory. And they decided to do this in the literal sense of the word, by contacting a special agency to remove unnecessary memories. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” with irony and sad humor shows us that in fact, nothing can be erased from memory forever if a person really deeply felt this. No matter how hard Joel and Clementine try, they cannot forget about each other, because their love was and remains true, and everything else is just small but annoying details that can be eliminated if desired.

Creative tandem of Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet

It is worth noting separately how the film “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” made an impact on the life of the actors. The actors who played Joel and Clementine are better known to the general public not for this film, but in their career he takes a pretty serious place. Jim Carrey made himself known as a professional comedian, able to amuse people with his unexpected and very witty additions to the original script and stand-up performances. In the same film, Kerry showed himself as an amazing dramatic actor, demonstrating a palette of emotions that many theater artists would envy. Acting as the eccentric Clementine, Kate Winslet proved herself in the classic "Titanic", and here she simply confirmed that she really knows how to play and can be called a good actress. The creative duet of Kerry and Winslet looks very organic and is perfectly perceived by the viewer, even Kate's crazy hair colors do not interfere.

The Importance of Cinema Music

Special thanks for creating a suitable atmosphere should, of course, be said to the composer who was involved in the musical design of the film and to the group that kindly provided the soundtrack. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" does not bother the audience at all with light musical accompaniment. You do not have to listen once again to make out the replicas of the heroes, and in especially tense or decisive moments, the music perfectly emphasizes what is happening. You need to thank TheWillowz band and their original style, which is similar to mixing garage rock with such trendy indie rock now. Loyal fans of the film acquire the soundtrack to the film on a separate disc, although getting it is not so easy, especially in the CIS countries. TheWillowz music is suitable not only for the film, but also for trips on rainy days and lonely evenings in an empty apartment. The light sadness that their compositions inspire just perfectly emphasizes the atmosphere of the picture.

Manna from heaven or a curse?

We can say that the painting “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”, the description of which is a bit like the plot of the worst nightmare, better than the most romantic films shows what love really should be. Joel and Clementine are so attached to each other that no memory erasure agency can make them just throw these memories out of their heads. The first to take this desperate step was the impulsive Clementine, who wanted to quickly erase from memory everything connected with the once beloved Joel. Considering that he was no worse, Joel also decided to contact the agency, but during the operation he realized that he did not want to lose memories that were dear to his heart. The love of Clementine and Joel helped stop the irreversible operation, breaking all the laws of common sense. Of course, erasing the memory in this film is just a metaphor, but many people suffering from unrequited feelings would give any money to pay for such an operation. Fortunately or unfortunately, each person must cope with this stress on their own.

Clear and hidden hints of the picture

The film uses a huge number of characters and hints that not the most attentive viewer will ever notice at first viewing. For example, when Joel recalls how he once again quarreled with Clementine, all the people around the couple find themselves faceless in the truest sense of the word. This suggests that at that moment Joel did not see anyone around except Clementine, because his personal world was concentrated on her. He did not remember the faces of these people, because they were not important to him, but he could not forget Clementine's face, no matter how he tried. Similarly, even after the operation, Clementine sees Joel in everything: a familiar circle, a phrase dropped by someone, a torn book. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” inspires hope, despite its seemingly sad content. The plot does not hint at the existence of fate or “right” people who are destined to be together, but it tells us that a person does not always have to follow a momentary rush.

Cinema is an individual matter

The film "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" does not allow you to get bored and keeps the viewer in suspense until the very last moment. Of course, in the middle of the film it becomes a little difficult for the average spectator to perceive, because the events are developing completely illogical, and the characters behave strangely and unreasonably. The creators of the film will not allow the viewer to understand what all this meant, but this also has its advantages. Each film fan can interpret this picture as he pleases. There cannot be any one and only correct interpretation, just as it cannot be in love matters. Each person is individual, and therefore his conclusion after watching this film will completely depend on his mood, background knowledge, experience in romantic relationships and just a worldview. Therefore, to some, the “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” may seem sad, but to someone it can be very life-affirming and full of hope.

To whom and how to watch a movie

The timing of the picture slightly exceeds the standard one and a half hours, but every minute is justified. In addition to Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, the audience will see such actors as Elijah Wood, Kirsten Dunst and Mark Ruffalo. The talent of each of these actors brings a small contribution to the picture and makes it very peculiar. “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” should ideally be watched with one's soulmate, but in this case the viewer risks missing some symbols and dialogues. If you watch the movie alone, the risk of spoiling your mood for the whole day ahead still exists, but it’s always useful to think about something eternal, bright and immortal.