Charlie Kaufman really crafted an extraordinary love story here, where we go backwards from the breakup, and find out what was so amazing about the love affair, but then it is too late, or is it. This is an amazing film. With killer effects, and sureallity as Joel’s word is erased around him, as he has the memories of the one he loved erased, and realizes that he doesn’t want to lose his memories of this amazing woman. I have loved this film since it came out, and have even read the screenplay (where this couple continues erasing each other into old age and getting back together, but thinking they have spent their lives alone, when really they have spent their lives together). And now I have it on HD DVD, and the film hasn’t looked better since I saw it in the theater. You can actually see the film grain now, and with the HD DVD you get no compression artifacts, so this is the way to see it. This is an amazing film, and one of my all-time favorites. I wish Kelly could watch it, but it is too shaky for her to handle, which is too bad. Also doesn’t hurt that Kate Winslet is my favorite actress, and for the first time I really loved Jim Carrey in a role, he is much better playing subtle instead of playing over the top, which I can’t stand. I also love the soundtrack and have listened to it many many times. And to show just how much I like this film, I saw it in the theater, I bought the original DVD, I bought the special edition dvd and now I have bought the HD DVD (which looks amazing).

Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) wakes up on morning, and heads down to his car, which is damaged and he doesn’t know how, and at the train station waiting to go to work, on the spur of the moment, he skips work and hops a train to Montauk, where he wanders around the beach, and he sees a woman with crazy died hair doing the same, and she introduces herself on the train, she is Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet). He ends up going back to her place with her, but running out, but getting her phone number, and calls her as soon as he gets home.

We then cut to Joel crying in his car, Clementine has left him and he is crushed, and he goes to his friends house to complain about Clementine, who has a new boyfriend, and doesn’t seem to know who he is any more, and his married friends Carrie (Jane Adams) and Rob (David Cross) tell him that Clementine has been to a place called Lacuna Inc. and has had her memory of him erased. She did it on a whim. So to spite Clementine Joel goes to the office to find out what happened, there he meets Dr. Howard Mierzwiak (Tom Wlkinson) his pretty secretary who has a crush on him,, Mary (Kirsten Dunst), his chief technician Stan (Mark Ruffalo) and the in training Patrick (Elijah Wood). Joel decides to have the process done, so he removes everything of her from his apartment, and they destroy it, and then he goes home and takes a sleeping pill and they start to erase his memory of Clementine, though he slowly begins to realize he doesn’t want his memory of her erased!

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS….

Stan and Patrick come to Joel’s house and wire him and start the procedure, and at first it goes smoothly as they go backwards through Joel’s memories of Clementine and erase them from his mind, but Joel can hear Patrick and Stan talking. And Patrick has stolen Joel’s identity, and is the one dating Clementine now, but using Joel’s words, poetry and even gifts. Joel wants to stop Patrick, who goes to Clementine, and Mary shows up, because she is dating Stan and they get stoned and have sex.

And Joel realizes he cannot lose Clementine, because he really loves her so much, and she helps him to run from the erasure, first just running, and then she gets him to try and take her to his deepest memories of childhood, and into his worst moments, when he is caught masturbating, or killing a bird because of some bullies. Stan and Mary don’t know what to do, because Joel has gone off the map, so they call Dr. Mierzwiak to come over and help, and Mary is overjoyed. Howard gets the program back on, but Joel goes off again, so he must stay, so Stan steps out, and Mary starts hitting on him.

FInally Joel realizes he can’t keep Clementine’s memory, and he accepts he is losing it, and talks to her as they relive their first memory, where they were at the beach, and she broke into a house, and he ran away, because he was scared. The last thing Clementine says to Joel is meet me in Montauk.

Mary starts kissing Howard, but his wife shows up and sees them and they run after her. The wife tells Mary she can have Howard because she has had him before, and has had her memory erased. Mary is incensed, and she goes to the office, and finds her records and tapes, and she takes the records for everyone else who has had the project done, and sends them their tapes and records.

WHen Joel wakes up, it is the morning from the beginning, and he meets Clementine for the first time again, and they go out on a date to the river, and on the way back they stop at her house to get her toothbrush, and get her mail, and she gets the letter from Mary, and they play the tape, and both freak out, and Joel kicks Clementine out of his car. SHe then follows him and heads to his house, and finds him listening to his own tape, and they listen to all his complaints about her, and she leaves, but he stops her. She says it will all happen again, and he says he doesn’t care, and they once again get back together again.

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Such an amazing film. The story is so good, the performances are fantastic and it is done and put together so well. The effects are seamless and perfect as Joel’s memories are slowly erased. This is really one of my favorite films.