Kaufman piques our curiosity once again

Grade: B+

“You’re creepy,” remarks John Malkovich’s long lost girlfriend, just as Catherine Keener runs by, pursued by Cameron Diaz.

Who could forget this brilliant scene from Being John Malkovich, the film that is set in the quirky actor’s subconscious? Screenwriter Charlie Kaufman revisits this notion of physically accessing one’s memories in the amusing Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

What would you do if you received a card in the mail that stated you had been erased from someone’s memory, and you should no longer attempt to contact him or her?

The unlikely casting of Jim Carrey in a role that lacks the notoriously outrageous physical comedy we’ve come to peg the actor with, places his character, Joel, in just such a position.

After a bad break-up, Joel discovers that Clementine (Kate Winslet) has had him completely erased from her memory. Joel decides to return the favor, and the procedure begins to target his most recent memories: the demise of the relationship.

The rest of their story is then told in reverse, a narrative structure reminiscent of Memento, though used to achieve a different effect.

What we get is a somewhat traditional love story told with subtle humor and a few pleasant surprises.

This is the second film on which director Michel Gondry has collaborated with Kaufman, the first being 2002’s much more humorous Human Nature.

As it stands now, Spike Jonze has still had the pleasure of bringing Kaufman’s two strongest scripts to the screen (Malkovich and Adaptation).

Kaufman also wrote Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, the only film that can make the distinguished claim of being George Clooney’s directorial debut.

With a background in music videos (including The White Stripes Lego animated “Fell in Love with a Girl”), Gondry uses a tasteful combination of old fashioned practical tricks and newer computer enhanced effects.

However, the “realistic” handheld camera aesthetic he favors has become so abundant in recent films and television that it can’t help but feel forced and tired.

Once we look past all of these trendy tricks and quirks, we are left with the classic question: is it better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all?

All of the actors give adequate performances, even though they’ve been dealt the challenge of being cast against type.

Carrey plays the shy and soft-spoken Joel, similar to The Mask’s Stanley Ipkiss; however, the sharp material and performance makes him appear less of a caricature.

Winslet portrays Clementine, the bubbly eccentric who would scowl at the characters we are used to seeing the British beauty represent.

The rest of the cast includes Elijah Wood, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo (You Can Count On Me), and the always impressive, Tom Wilkinson (In the Bedroom).

Other than the invasive procedure of getting inside someone’s head, there are several other Kaufmanian elements one can identify from prior scripts.

This includes Adaptation’s self-degrading protagonist (Nicholas Cage replaced by Carrey) and Malkovich’s bizarre parody of a large corporation quizzically named Lestercorp, has replaced in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind by Lacuna.

Lacuna, the fictional company which offers memory erasure procedures, even has its own website, offering promotions such as the “Valentines Day Broken Heart Special,” which allows heartsick singles to wipe out painful memories for half price.

Lacuna may be only fantasy, but Kaufman’s recent success has proven that such involved departures from reality are welcome in the film world.

Not since David Mamet has a screenwriter garnered so much attention from mainstream moviegoers as Charlie Kaufman.

His ability to take outrageous fiction and subtly grind it into reality has allowed him to create a much needed and welcomed niche for himself.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind will be embraced by all Kaufman fans, but is also enjoyable for those unfamiliar with his work.

If you are wondering how heal the heartache, or just looking for a good chuckle, check out Lacuna Inc.’s web site at http://www.lacunainc.com

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