Khushbooo Uttamchandani - Critical essay II

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Director – Michel Gongry

Michel Gondry was born and raised in Versailles, France.. He has scripted inspiring imagery in the form of commercials, music videos, shorts, feature films, and other media. He is partially credited with reviving the music-video format in the 1990's. He has been named a genius by too many people to count.(JULLIEN )

He has done several films which have done well, Gondry's first feature film was  Human nature  and more successful second feature Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which garnered him an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, an award shared with Charlie Kaufman and Pierre Bismuth. Gondry produced the somewhat autobiographical film The Science of Sleep and the hip-hop concert documentary Dave Chapplle's Block Party. In 2008 he came with the release of his fifth feature film, Be Kind Rewind. (JULLIEN )

He is an extra ordinary director who portrays a creative image; all his movies are fresh and a treat to viewers.

"How happy is the blameless vestal's lot! The world forgetting, by the world forgot. Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind! Each pray'r accepted, and each wish resign'd"- (Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind.)

 According to Michel Gondry, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind "is a very geometrical movie. It's about a guy named Joel Barish who wants to erase his girlfriend Clementine Kruczynski from his memory. You get to see their relationship erased scene by scene, and then in the middle of the process, he changes his mind and decides to save her. So he takes her out of the memories she belongs in, and puts her in memories she doesn't belong in, to try and hide her. It's very symmetrical, but very romantic as well."

When I watched this movie, I was simply had no words. This movie is thoughtful and passionate, dealing with complex ideas involving relationships. It captivates its audience through a world of imagination narrating an original story. 

The best part of this movie is the story, as it is very different from any other movie I have seen. The story is about Joel, played by Jim Carrey, he relives the memories of his relationship with his girlfriend Clementine, played by Kate Winslet, in order to get them erased so that he doesn’t have to deal with sorrow of  living without her. ( Flaxman)

The casting in this film is impressive. The characters are well thought of and fitted accurately. When I saw Jim Carrey in the starring role, I assumed that the movie would hold some comical significance. However this was not true at all. I for the first time saw Jim Carrey being so serious. The movie proves that Carrey is a remarkably talented actor that can play a verity roles. Kate Winslet is apt as the care- free Clementine, her character builds into someone who is unhappy. This change in character is pulled of very gracefully making it look depressing but believable.

The most interesting part of the movie, second to the plot is the editing or the way its put together.  The story goes backwards through their relationship to show the audience how they eventually reached where they are today. The setting begins to disappear as Joel relives his experiences, This indicting the deletion of his memories. This effect was very powerful as the main character realizes he is yet in love with her and doesn't want to forget her, so he  tries to hold on to the last few pieces of Clementine. ( Flaxman)

Even though the concept and the plot of the movie is frictional and so unbelievable it somehow convinced me it felt real and true.

 Eternal sunshine of the spotless Mind   is a powerful and beautiful movie. I would request anyone to see it at least once, as the movie is the types which will keep you awake thinking about it at night. The film combines an excellent storyline and great camerawork topped  with an interesting and original plot, hence creating a perfect film.

Biblography

1. JULLIEN , Raphaël. "Biography for Michel Gondry."IMDb. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Nov 2010. .
2. Flaxman, Robert. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." Movie Review. N.p., 10102004. Web. 15 Nov 2010. .
3. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Official Trailer." You Tube. Web. 15 Nov 2010. .
4. "Michal Gondry." Google images. Web. 15 Nov 2010. .