From classics such as the Ace Ventura films to modern hits like Sonic the Hedgehog, Jim Carrey has delivered a multitude of zany, erratic and above all wildly hilarious performances. A mime, dancer and actor all in one – he’s portrayed some of the most unhinged characters ever seen in cinema. As such, it can be a bit jarring when you watch him in a serious role.
Carrey’s dramatic efforts are few and far between, but the ones that exist surely pack a punch. One of these is the 2004 romantic drama Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which hits Netflix next month. In the film, the actor stars as a man who, after suffering from heartbreak, enlists the services of a dubious company which claims it can erase the memories he has of his ex-girlfriend.
Said girlfriend, an eccentric and outspoken girl named Clementine, is played by none other than Kate Winslet. Compared to Carrey’s character, who dresses and acts in the most unassuming of ways, Winslet’s role is vibrant and energetic. From her dyed hair to her bright orange coat, her influence on Carrey is the ‘sunshine’ which he desperately wants to forget but simply cannot get himself to.
Written by Charlie Kaufman, the screenwriter behind films like Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, the pic features an incredibly dense plot that somehow manages to engage audiences without fail through its if not sympathetic, at least highly relatable characters. A dominant theme of Kaufman’s work is loneliness, and here too it is presented as a force which nothing – not even pure love – can ever overcome.
Along with a wealth of other brand new films and series that were announced earlier today, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind will begin streaming on Netflix starting August 1st.
