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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Having already seen Being John Malkovich, I kind of expected that this movie, which was also written by Charlie Kaufman, would also be rather quirky and surreal. And boy was I right about that.
But the thing that elevates Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind above "Malkovich" is the fact that there's a real story behind the strangeness that you can relate to. You really get the sense during the movie that the two main characters, portrayed by Jim Carrey (in a surprisingly good turn as the straight man) and Kate Winslet (playing the free spirit and hiding her accent nicely), share a real connection and a story that is worth unravelling through the Memento-like chronological shifting that governs the movie. And while I certainly enjoyed "Malkovich", this movie felt more real somehow, in spite of the plot oddities.
I seem to be seeing a lot of movies with the same actors these days. Not only do we have Elijah Wood (who was also in Sin City) yet again as a creepy loser who takes privacy violation to a whole new level. But also playing a minor role in this film is Kirsten Dunst (who voiced Kiki in the English dub of Kiki's Delivery Service), playing a receptionist/assistant with an interesting history.
Overall, I liked this movie quite a bit for its oddness and the way the relationship played out. It's the sort of movie you want to see again to understand how it all fits together. 3/4 stars.