20th Anniversary TLDR: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
You can erase someone from your mind - getting them out of your heart is another story.
Plot: Joel Barish, heartbroken that his girlfriend underwent a procedure to erase him from her memory, decides to do the same. However, as he watches his memories of her fade away, he realizes that he still loves her, and may be too late to correct his mistake.
Direction & Screenplay: Music video director Michel Gondry is behind the camera, but this screams screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. I'm torn on his work, totally loving some (Anomolisa, Being John Malkovich) while being left cold by others (Synecdoche, New York and certain aspects of this film). Gondry, Kaufman, and Pierre Bismuth won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and I get why, but I have to wonder if I just don't have the life situation(s) or experience(s) to find this as impactful as others do.
Performances: I prefer my Jim Carrey in his Liar Liar or Grinch or Mask worlds, but I always appreciate it when someone steps out of their comfort zone. He and Kate Winslet both do something different from what they normally do here and their chemistry is strong, but they unfortunately spend the movie apart in various ways. They are at their best together, like in the film's opening ten minutes.
Cinematography: Turns out, if you don't use lights to make your movie look like a movie, it'll look like a home video. Cinematographer Ellen Kuras was challenged by Gondry to only use natural light, keep up with actors constantly missing marks in improvisation, and create a visual world that mixes fact with fiction. It's a tall task.
Best moment: Mark Ruffalo and Kirsten Dunst dancing in their underwear.
Fun fact: I've never in my life heard my name (Patrick) uttered more in the span of 108 minutes.
Imaginary accolade: Worst Chin Hair Ever: Winner, Elijah Wood, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Best Winslet hair color? Blue.
Everything is too long. Is it too long? It's the perfect length for what it wants to do. There's no fat.
Rating: You probably like this more than I do.
Credit: Plot synopsis from Letterboxd via TMDb.