Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

Anyone who has watched Being John Malkovich (1999), Adaptation (2002) or I’m Thinking of Ending Things (2020) can tell writer Charlie Kaufman has a unique way of seeing things. Such is the case in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) which earned him an Oscar, a BAFTA, and a London Film Critics’ Circle Award. Under the direction of Michel Gondry, this sci-fi rom-com centers around Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) who learns his ex-girlfriend Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet) has undergone a procedure to have her memories of him erased from her brain. Heartbroken, he decides to do the same while secretly trying to keep a kernel of her hidden in his Swiss-cheese mind. Meanwhile, a cast of other characters are opting to erase their romantic memories too. As you can guess, sensual shenanigans and some genuinely gripping sequences follow suit as the surreal story introduces receptionist Mary Svevo (Kirsten Dunst), Dr. Howard Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson), Carrie (Jane Addams) and Rob Eakin (David Cross), Patrick Wertz (Elijah Wood), and the fab flesh on Stan Fink (Mark Ruffalo). As a nerdy technician, Ruffalo jumps out of bed to reveal his ravishing rump! Despite the fact that he puts on a pair of tighty whiteys, he continues the scene sans top. In other words, Mark touts his hairy chest. Suffice it to say, the skinastic actor brings a little sunshine into Mr. Man’s spotless mind and spotty head! No wonder the offbeat movie turned a profit at the box office while turning on spank bankers!