(rated R)
Charlie Kaufman, who brought us “Adaptation” and “Being John Malkovich” is at it again. But this time he goes full circle without derailing off-track in the third act. In this latest twisted tale, Jim Carrey plays Joel Barish a man who is in love and then isn’t and then is again, with Kate Winslet as Clementine. Fed up with Joel, Clementine decides to go to a funky clinic, run by Tom Wilkinson, capable of erasing memories. Pretty soon Joel decides to do the same. Running the entire story in rewind (and someplace inside Joel’s brain) all sort of journeys take place — making this movie more than complicated, but also flawless. Kaufman has achieved the one thing he could never get right: A romantic premise. Carrey comes off more concerned than convincing, and Winslet is outrageous as the spitfire who has serious relationship issues. Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood and Kirsten Dunst play the perfectly cast kooky medical team, behind all the unexpected shenanigans, in this sci-fi comedy craziness.
