20 Most Rewatchable Movies Of The 21st Century
4. Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)
For those who can't stand romance at the movies, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind is perfect, as it can barely stand the genre either. In visionary screenwriter Charlie Kaufman's best script to date, a romance between two apparent strangers is tenderly deconstructed, in a way that's funny, scary, relatable and completely unfaithful to the traditional movie romance.
And in inventive director Michel Gondry's hands, Kaufman's cynical script is given a hyperactive boost to balance out the pessimism. Dream imagery is achieved largely without CG assistance, Gondry using in-camera techniques, practical effects and simple editing to convey one man's sense of being wiped of memories of the love of his life.
Jim Carrey gives his best performance ever, in an atypically withdrawn and subdued turn hiding immense depth, and there's a considerable argument for Kate Winslet giving her personal best opposite him, apparently stealing Carrey's usual energy to play his erratic girlfriend.
One of the most original films this century, Eternal Sunshine covers and toys with almost every movie genre imaginable, so chances are there's at least one thing you'll like about it.