From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

“The Hollywood Reporter,” 100 points.

“This is not only Charlie Kaufman’s most easily understood and most romantic script, but also the most complete. The third act is so rounded and perfect, the power of different branches and clues converging is presented smoothly and beautifully, drawing the entire audience into this storm.

Anson Wood and Kate Winslet have never been so vulnerable and so real, they possess a kind of flawed quality that is heartbreaking.”

“Premiere,” 100 points.

“A whimsical and colorful adventure, leading the audience to explore the infinite possibilities of life, love, and destiny, an unparalleled experience.”

“Entertainment Weekly,” 100 points.

“This is not a love story, but a journey to explore the essence of love. Charlie Kaufman’s wild and romantic imagination evolves into reality.”

“Variety,” 100 points.

“Breaks the imagination, wonderful, ups and downs, and has a lasting appeal. Most importantly, it's humorous.”

“The Wall Street Journal,” 100 points.

“A work that everyone in Hollywood yearns to be a part of, and fortunately, we encountered Anson Wood and Kate Winslet.”

“The New Yorker,” 100 points.

“A masterpiece? Perhaps. Fearless? Absolutely. Unforgettable? I will be waiting for you at the tenth-anniversary re-screening.”

“Los Angeles Times,” 100 points.

“It is no exaggeration to say that this is the best movie in the entire decade, and believe me, I know which year the decade starts from.

However, the truly fascinating thing about the movie is that we cannot see the glamorous appearance of Anson Wood and Kate Winslet, and it even makes people forget how beautiful they originally were; but we can still deeply feel their charm, a transformation.

Or to put it in more professional terms: acting.”

“The New York Times,” 100 points.

“A story that is so intricate and so full of interpretive space, yet presented in such a light, witty, and humorous way, Anson Wood and Kate Winslet's performances are the key, they give Charlie Kaufman's boldest and most ambitious work vitality.”

“Us Weekly,” 100 points.

“Oh, Kate, Kate, Kate—Winslet once again proves with practical actions that she is far more than just the rich girl in ‘Titanic’; but how much praise Winslet deserves, Wood deserves just as much trust, he not only completes such a complex and rich performance in front of Winslet but also uses his energy to fill the flesh and blood of Charlie Kaufman's script.

When Wood appears on the big screen, we know what a superstar is.”

Praise, praise, all praise.

Full marks, full marks, all full marks.

Destructive, vigorous, forming a storm.

Naturally, the focus is all on Charlie Kaufman, which is also his typical characteristic, the screenwriter's figure appearing in every corner of the camera.

But this time, not only Charlie, but the director and actors are also seen, Michel Gondry's use of editing, camera movement, and soundtrack is widely praised; and the actors are even more so, as Roger Ebert said, Anson and Kate's existence fills Charlie's biggest shortcoming as a screenwriter.

Thus, completeness becomes the key word, creating the work “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”.

Roger Ebert is just one of thousands of film critics, people should refer to authoritative opinions, but there is no need to blindly believe them.

After all, watching a movie is originally a private matter, everyone can have different viewing experiences based on their own experiences and feelings.

However, Roger's ability to stand out from countless film critics and win awards and recognition does have its own unique features.

The same is true now, when Roger keenly realized the key role played by the two actors in this work, other film critics also noticed it.

“The Village Voice,” 100 points.

“Anson Wood, the actor. When Charlie Kaufman puts the core burden of the entire story on Anson Wood, the movie also faces a crisis, either it is a complete disaster, or… it is a classic that goes down in history.

We are witnessing the latter.

Some comedy, some tragedy, you can capture the collision of complex emotions in him, his heartbreak, his romance, his tenderness, his indifference, his confusion, his firmness, guiding the audience's heart to rise and fall in this kaleidoscope-like story, and finally fall with him.

Perhaps, this is the first time that Charlie Kaufman's figure as a screenwriter is hidden behind Anson. This is also the reason why the movie becomes a classic.”

“Time” Magazine, 100 points.

“Fifteen years ago, ‘When Harry Met Sally’ presented the audience with a classic restaurant simulation scene; and now, ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ presents the audience with a classic villa collapse scene—

Don't get me wrong, this time it is literally.

In the sea and night, Anson Wood wanders in the most embarrassing, shameful, and sad fragments of his memory, we follow his murmur to look back at our darkness.

That moment is the movie.”

Top praise!

Everything, as Roger Ebert said, “The New Yorker” also expressed a similar view:

Perhaps, this is not a masterpiece that goes down in history, you can find various regrets and shortcomings from different perspectives; but this does not affect the movie from becoming a great modern love story since the millennium, eye-opening, unforgettable, and will further demonstrate its value as time passes.

The craze is coming.

Even if you are mentally prepared, even if you read waves of praise, when you see the top authoritative media praising it, the audience is still caught in the second wave of impact—

It's been a long time.

It has really been a long, long time since they saw media reporters praising such a love movie.

After experiencing the peak of the eighties and the glory of the nineties, love movies inevitably began to slowly decline. Since the millennium, love movies have faced more and more challenges in the market's reputation and position.

Although the love genre can still attract audiences into the cinema, it is becoming increasingly difficult to convince film critics to like these works.

Until now.

The British magazine “Empire” commented like this.

“The movie breaks through the stereotypical shackles of Hollywood love genre works in Charlie Kaufman's whimsical ideas, reawakening the magic of love—and the magic of movies, leading the audience to travel through time and space, and almost making people believe that movies can do anything.

Almost.”

You can feel the regret of “Empire” magazine from the lines, which once again coincides with the views of Roger and other film critics. The movie is far from being a classic masterpiece. The more you feel the charm of the movie, the more regretful it is. A little bit off, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” may be able to become a masterpiece.

Unfortunately, it's just a little bit short.