Film & Book Reviews by Ashley S.

Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless mind (2004) is a genuine mixture of romance, drama, science fiction, with a warm touch of comedy. The cast is quite interesting: starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, with supporting roles from Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood and Tom Wilkinson. This is a film that leaves you almost in deep thought, questioning all that you’ve ever processed in your mind. For the purpose of this review, I will focus solely on the relationship between Joel and Clementine.

Joel Barish, played by Jim Carrey, is a lonesome man who makes an impulsive decision that leads him to meet the love of his life. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. The woman that he meets, is Clementine. Yes, like the citrus. Now, Clementine is eccentric and beautiful – She makes you wonder what else life has in store. For Joel, she was like a breath of fresh air when he felt like he was drowning into an abyss of nothingness. Clementine was also lost in a way and it was a balance that seemed to open up both of their hearts to each other. Joel was introverted and was unsure with every movement, yet the audience can see how inquisitive he becomes as Clementine offers her emotions on her sleeve.

The film leads with the story of their relationship and how it flourished. Soon thereafter, we witness the brutal truths and the awkwardness that came along with misunderstanding and deflection. Clementine becomes extracted from herself and completely divorces herself from their relationship. The way that she does it is by undergoing a procedure that wipes her memories out from a specific point in time to the present. Due to this, Joel and Clementine become utterly distorted and it takes a dark turn. There is much to consider with the idea of intentionally erasing your memories because that is the deeply traumatizing act. We can assume that it made sense for Clementine to go through with the procedure because it was available and she must have been feeling desperate to forget.

Joel: What a loss to spend that much time with someone, only to find out that she’s a stranger.

The viewer may ask themselves – Why would Clementine do such a drastic thing to herself? To simply forget that Joel ever existed for the comfort of her own mind. For Joel, he felt the disorientation that came with that. When he discovers what has happened, it brings him to question the reality that he once knew.

Now the questions come: Did I ever really know this person? Why would they do something like this? What’s wrong with me? Can I even talk to her about this? No!

Joel becomes wrapped in a circular state of disillusionment. The memories of his own mind flood him with intensity and he is stuck in a sort of purgatory. The film depicts Joel as a small bird that has broken its wing. Desperately, trying to fly away because he senses the danger creeping up on him – but he cannot. Reminiscing along with the process, Joel is euphoric in his thoughts for some time. It is easy to surpass the bad things in someone yet it is also easy to pretend that things are a different way than what they actually are.

• Clementine: Joely?
• Joel: Yeah Tangerine?
• Clementine: Am I ugly?
• Joel: Uh-uh.
• Clementine: When I was a kid, I thought I was. I can’t believe I’m crying already. Sometimes I think people don’t understand how lonely it is to be a kid, like you don’t matter. So, I’m eight, and I have these toys, these dolls. My favorite is this ugly girl doll who I call Clementine, and I keep yelling at her, “You can’t be ugly! Be pretty!” It’s weird, like if I can transform her, I would magically change, too.
• Joel: [kisses Clementine] You’re pretty.
• Clementine: Joely, don’t ever leave me.
• Joel: You’re pretty… you’re pretty… pretty…

The love was there… it was always there. Joel and Clementine were trapped in a world that they created but they could not find a way to smooth out the cracks and build anew.

The viewer becomes deeply attached to not only Joel, but Clementine too. For Joel, he is someone that you want to hug. The way that he carries himself makes you wonder why he is so defeated all the time. We consider that some people just become unsatisfied with their lives and it then drains into their insides like a ghost that becomes you. Joel was a ghost before he met Clementine. She was there – Bright flower, smiling – Showing him that life is to be lived. I really believe that she was so drastic in her choices because she was passionate about Joel. She could not fathom the idea that there was this giant block that they could not get rid of, so she decides to get rid of it herself. I was drawn to her because of her rawness. Clementine was unafraid – was she? I wonder if she was truly unafraid, would she have went this far? Joel followed in her footsteps as he did from the beginning because she offered him a light down a dark hallway. Clementine was unafraid of letting it all go, Joel was the opposite. Opposites do attract.

• Clementine: I wish you’d stayed.
• Joel: I wish I’d stayed, too. NOW I wish I’d stayed. I wish I’d done a lot of things. I wish I’d… I wish I’d stayed… I do.

-One of my favorite movies, ever – Ashley