Cady's Take:

Jim Carrey plays Joel, a depressed, self-loathing loner who, for reasons he doesn't understand, takes off on a spontaneous Valentine's Day train trip. He meets Clementine (Kate Winslett), a capricious and headstrong bookstore jockey, and we catch the first flicker of their burgeoning romance.

At some point in the relationship Clementine decides to end their affair, and goes through a bizarre brain procedure performed by physician (Tom Wilkinson), who has found a way to wipe away specified portions of human memory. Out of spite, hoping that this will help him get over the breakup, Joel decides to do the same, so he never has to live with the pain of failed love. When the heartsick Joel asks if it will cause brain damage, Dr. Mierzwiak replies, "Technically, it is brain damage."

About 75% of the movie takes place inside Joel's brain as two computer technicians (Elijah Wood and Mark Ruffalo) try to eliminate Clementine from his subconscious. In the middle of the process Joel regrets his decision and decides his memories of Clem are too precious to give up. So, he races through his subconscious with the mental image of Clementine. She figures he can hide her in a memory that the techies won't expect to look, but Joel doesn't think it will work because, as he says, "I can't remember anything without you".

This is a film about how concretely memories, good and bad, govern our lives. Anyone who has ever loved and lost will find something here that will tug at the heartstrings.

Eternal Sunshine is a complicated story that demands your full attention. It is highly original and intellectual with great imagination and a memorable love story. The pairing of Carrey and Winslett may sound like a stretch, but both make it work with terrific performances. Eternal Sunshine is truly one film that has got to be experienced!

In spite of the sort of unwieldy title, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is a rather lighthearted look at love and loneliness. When we meet Clementine (Kate Winslet) and Joel (Jim Carey), we are not aware that we are at the end of their journey - or, at the very least, the beginning of a second journey. I was vaguely familiar with the plot before sitting down to watch "Spotless Mind" and I think knowing sort of what to expect helped me follow the story. I will confess, I think one more watching of this movie would allow me to rate it accurately, but alas, there are so many movies and so little time!

Clementine and Joel meet, fall in love, and then Clementine - that impulsive little imp - decides that after breaking up she would like to not remember Joel. She does just that by going to a doctor (Tom Wilkinson) who can erase specific people and memories, so that your life continues but with sub-sections lifted out. There is a whole sub-plot here that I do not really need to get into, suffice it to say there is an odd little cast of characters that make up this 'eraser' crew.

What "Spotless Mind" is really about is memory, and more accurately, our specific personal memories. What do they mean to us, and are we better off without the painful ones? If we erase whole sections of our lives just to ease pain, are we even the same person anymore? And what if you do not get all of the memories - what if some remnant is left over - are you doomed to repeat history no matter what? "Spotless Mind" shows us the fragility of the mind, memory, and ultimately the experience of being human.