The story, kind of like Memento, is hard to sum up but it basically goes down like this: In Jim Carrey's world there is a procedure that can erase a person from your memory. By using a mri machine, doctors can go in and erase painful memories. The movie works backwards but Jim Carrey discovers that his previous girlfriend erased him. So he decides to erase her. Most of the film takes place in Carrey's mind as he watches memories of her fade away starting with the most recent and working back. By the end he discovers he doesn't want her erased completely but it is too late. The film is way more complicated but that just gives you a sense of what is going on.
It can get confusing but it is grounded in some fine performances. Carrey is very good and Winslet is also, but I couldn't help shake the feeling that she was the wrong person for the part. What really makes the movie good is the emotion of watching your life fade to black before your eyes. And the strain it puts on the mind. Carrey goes through several revelations about life but the instant he realizes them, they are erased. It's a sad movie but it's also a happy movie and in the end I didn't really end up feeling either.
The movie is great but many times I just didn't like the characters. Sometimes Carrey's character is a douche and Winslet's character is just plain crazy. But overall I am glad I saw it. Not sure if I'd be able to put my mind through this psuedo-romance blender again but it is definitely worth a watch.
3 out of 4 stars
-Christopher O'Connell
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