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We’ve all felt the sting of a bad breakup (or five), and found ourselves saddled with memories that we’d rather forget – if only in the moment. The reason? Because we’ve all been there. On the contrary, for all its abstract detours and mental loops, it’s incredibly easy to relate to Joel throughout his journey. Structurally, the film is a labyrinth on par with The Matrix or Inception, following Joel from memory to memory as he relives his relationship with Clementine before eventually regretting his decision to forget her.Īnd yet for all its complexity, Eternal Sunshine is never hard to follow. The plot itself teeters on the absurd, with Joel (Jim Carrey) undergoing a controversial medical procedure to erase all memories of his ex-girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) after discovering that she has done the same to him. Nowhere is this accessibility more evident than in Kaufman’s script for Michel Gondry’s 2004 breakaway hit Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – a romantic dramedy of sorts bolstered by a surprisingly complex science fiction twist. As original as it is structurally, narratively, and thematically challenging, Kaufman’s work is not easily summed up or reduced, which makes it antithetical to the majority of features coming out of Hollywood today.Īnd yet, for all his complexity and offbeat ideas, his best work remains immediately accessible for one simple reason: authentic, relatable emotion.
![eternal sunshine of the spotless mind genre eternal sunshine of the spotless mind genre](https://www.gablescinema.com/media/filmassets/slides/eternal_sunshine_7.jpg)
The offbeat, genre-defying antics of Charlie Kaufman have made him a rare beast in an increasingly risk-averse industry with a reputation for safe bets and reliable franchise fare.