Directed by Michel Gondry

Focus Features

One of the scariest aspects of beginning a relationship in our era, particularly at a students’ young age, is the high probability that it will end. During the trauma of a breakup, many couples find themselves wishing the relationship never happened, no matter the amount of happy memories associated with the ex. Often, the happier the relationship, the harder the breakup. What if you could be rid of the memories of your ex-beloved forever?

This is one of the many warped ideas flowing through director Michel Gondry’s latest effort, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. In the film, a company named Lacuna Incorporated has acquired the technology to erase the foul taste of a past partner. Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) discovers this after tracing a note to ex-girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet), asking mutual friends not to raise his name in conversation with her. Since the ex is not supposed to see these notes, Dr. Howard Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson), the inventor of the treatment and the founder of Lacuna, agrees to inform Joel of the company’s function immediately.

Soon, two of Dr. Mierzwiak’s best technicians, Stan (Mark Ruffalo) and Patrick (Elijah Wood) are at Joel’s house to operate, so that he will wake up in his bed without realizing that the operation has even occurred. The centerpiece of the movie begins as Joel slowly realizes that, though his final memories of the relationship are tough to handle, he wants to remember at least some of the more pleasant aspects of the relationship. This starts his mental quest to hide some memories of their time together from the technicians, trying to save her in parts of his brain they can’t find. Eventually, this forces them to drag Dr. Mierzwiak out of bed for a little help. Wacky, heartfelt, odd and beautiful consequences occur creating the most astonishing film I’ve seen in years.

Why does this movie deserve the appellate “astonishing?” Simply because it expands the possibilities of cinema. The script was written by Charlie Kaufman and it clearly shows. He brings the characteristic flair that worked so well in past works such as Being John Malkovich and Human Nature. The problem with adapting Kaufman’s flair-ridden scripts is the danger of self-consciously indulging in their wacky nature and losing their essential heart, a flaw that derailed the last third of Adaptation and the central portion of Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.

In Sunshine, Michel Gondry keeps the story rooted in the essential horror of finding your best memories being slowly deleted, always making the audience care for Joel as a man, rather than blowing away characterization for the sake of wonderment at the increasingly inventive set pieces. But, boy, are those set pieces cool. The best example can be found in a scene where Joel and Clementine run across Grand Central Station as the people they pass are slowly erased. It’s the film world’s first existential action scene.

Gondry’s success is at least partly due to finding, in Kaufman, a creative genius to match his own. One look at Gondry’s work in the recent eponymous DVD collection celebrating his music video and short film work, and his inventiveness is clear. For the Rolling Stones’ video “Like a Rolling Stone,” he created the technology so that the camera’s perspective continues to roll as if it were an actual rolling stone. In the White Stripes’ “Fell in Love with a Girl,” Jack and Meg White are rendered as music-making Legos, a visual touch that is compelling in its own right, yet also accentuates the music. In a similar way, the casting of Eternal is creative, but accentuates the writing and directing. Jim Carrey is actually quiet for significant pieces of the role: he underplays, giving Joel a quiet dignity that makes the eventual disgrace in losing control over his own mind that much sadder. This is the first movie in which Carrey allows the audience to forget that he’s playing a role.

Winslet accomplishes that formidable task with the reverse approach: she overplays her role, but in a way that seems legitimately excited rather than forced. The near flawless acting goes across the board. Wilkinson’s quiet sadness is a play on his role in the forgotten Minnie Driver vehicle, The Governess, but this time the quality of the movie doesn’t disappoint his performance. Kirsten Dunst plays Lacuna’s receptionist with the fake cheeriness that is instantly recognizable to anyone familiar with waiting rooms. Elijah Wood has a sinister creepiness, based on a heartbreaking insecurity that almost makes the viewer root for his awkward pseudo-villainy.

Although some touches in the film seem odd upon the first viewing, in retrospect they work perfectly as a whole. Lacuna’s office and machines seem low-key and delightfully sketchy enough to be run by The Simpson’s Dr. Nick. However, this location makes it possible for them to engage in their necessarily secretive and presumably illegal procedures. How does Joel run through his memories? Gondry portrays with visual innovation the rather trite idea that love can override all boundaries.

Exiting Eternal Sunshine is looking at the world with new eyes, possibly the highest tribute that can be paid to art.