'Radom thoughts for Valentine's Day 2004. The day is a holiday invented by greeting card companies.... to make people feel like crap.'
No, 2004's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind isn't really a Valentine's movie, but does begin on the holiday. The quote above are the first lines we hear from the main character Joel played by Jim Carrey. They sort of the set the tone for how the film is going to depict relationships and love, and it's slightly darker than your average rom-com.
The scene continues on a cold snowy beach in Montauk, New York. This is where Joel has what appears to be a meet-cute with the blue haired Clementine played by Kate Winslet. Just as we begin to invested in their future, we learn they actually have a past, a not so pleasant one, that neither of them remember.
Although I'm a huge fan of Winslet, my feeling for Carrey have been mixed. I've enjoyed some of his films, but in others, his over the top characters have annoyed the crap out of me. This film is without a doubt my favorite Jim Carrey movie and performance. It's actually Winslet's Clementine that goes a little over the top from time to time with Carrey's Joel being the grounded emotional core to the film.
I love the films dreary winter scenes, and the twist that brings the characters together, as well as pulls them apart. Involved in this twist include characters played by actors Tom Wilkinson, Elijah Wood, Kirsten Dunst and Mark Ruffalo. Ruffalo plays Stan, and this film also includes one of my favorite roles from Ruffalo.
I didn't jump on the Marvel train, and have never seen him as The Hulk. Before however, and in-between his getting painted green, (or is that all computer generated) I've really respected Ruffalo's film choices. The 2000's was an especially good period to follow Ruffalo's roles with his turn in this film and others including; 13 Going on 30, In the Cut, The Kids Are All Right and Zodiac. Although he's put in some great performances since, I can only imagine the many great performances we might have seen if he hadn't gone green.
'You looked happy. Happy with a secret.'
Stan
Although there is no real nudity in the film, except maybe an inch of the top of Ruffalo's butt crack, it does include a cute scene with Ruffalo dancing in his tighty whities. He's actually in his tighty whities for quite awhile, over about 10 or 15 minutes. The film however, cuts in and out of scenes of Ruffalo and Dunst with scenes of Carrey and Winslet.
I'm guessing most of you have seen this film, and like many, either loved it or hated it. It's a dark take on romance, but one I would strongly recommend seeing if you haven't already. The film is one of those that has gotten more acclaim years after it's release. I think in part, Carrey's involvement indicated to many movie goers this was going to be a light comedy, one that they could just sit back and enjoy.
I think many were disappointed that they ended up watching a drama that required the viewer to pay attention. I get it, it was confusing at times, and if I'd been looking for another sequel to Dumb and Dumber or Ace Ventura, I would have been disappointed as well. If you stayed with it though, and understood what was happening, there was a pay off, there certainly was for me. I quickly became intensely invested in Joel and Clementine, far more invested than I usually do with the average rom-com couple.
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