Gondry proves to be a perfect choice for the material. His visual style is just as clever as Kaufman's structure. There is a balance here between story and style that, frankly, has never been achieved before in any Kaufman film. Visually beautiful (not murky like Malkovich), and complete (not unfulfilled like the ending to Adaptation), Eternal Sunshine has an undeniable power. There are multiple changes from the script I read. Not a single one, in my mind, made the movie weaker and a few made it even more potent. Gondry, much to my surprise, has crafted a picture full of beautiful, heartbreaking sadness.

Performances are all good. Carey is subtle, and Winslett, to certain extent, is as well. Sure she is abrasive, but there is a certain sadness hidden behind her eyes. Dunst has the greatest arc of the supporting players and proves up to the task. Much like Memento or any movie that demands attention to story, performances are hard to judge on a first viewing. For that reason, and many more, the movie demands to be watched several times.

For comparison purposes (and to know where I'm coming from):

Malkovich 8 out of 10
Adaptation 8 out of 10
Sunshine 9 out of 10

Hurrah! So far I've received almost nothing but good reviews, which is encouraging as hell. Nonetheless I'm not averse to putting up negative feedback, so if you've seen Eternal and you're biting your tongue to avoid shouting to the heavens "NO, NO, THE MOVIE'S A STINKER YOU FOOLS!" quit biting and feel free to let us know.