Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ★★★½ 2004 (R)

Unhappy couple uses latest technology to try and vacuum their minds clean of each other and all associated memories in this black comedy. Carrey plays it mostly straight here as Joel, a lovesick sap who undergoes the memory-erasing procedure when he finds out his strident girlfriend Clementine (Winslet) had similar sci-fi style treatment to wipe him out of her trendy blue-streaked head. Carrey begins to have second thoughts, however, playing hide and seek with his memories of Clementine from the thoroughly unprofessional mind-erasing technicians (Ruffalo and Wood) who trash his apartment in the process. Clever story penned by Kaufman in his second venture with director Gondry. Leads earn their stellar salaries here, along with excellent supports, including Wood, Ruffalo, Wilkinson, and Dunst. 108m/C DVD, HD DVD . US Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Elijah Wood, Mark Ruffalo, Thomas Jay Ryan, Jane Adams, David Cross, Kirsten Dunst, Tom Wilkinson, Ellen Pompeo, Paulie (Litowsky) Litt; D: Michel Gondry; W: Michel Gondry, Charlie Kaufman; C: Ellen Kuras; M: Jon Brion. Oscars '04: Orig. Screenplay; British Acad. '04: Film Editing, Orig. Screenplay; Writers Guild '04: Orig. Screenplay.