I think it goes without saying amongst fellow film aficionados, that we all love films, especially the great ones. However over the years watching films I've noticed there seems to be that one film that is hugely popular, but when you sit down to watch it, you can't understand why it's held in such high regard. For me it's only happened a couple of times, but I unfortunately have to add Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to the list.

Whilst I appreciated the original screenplay from Charlie Kaufman(whose work I usually love), it felt completely flat. I was never engaged at any moment in the film, the characters were extremely unlikable and had horrible personalities. Other then one emotional scene towards the end with Kirsten Dunst's character, the film felt dull and lifeless. At no point did I feel invested in the story. I was unable to buy into Joel(Jim Carrey) and Clementine's(Kate Winslet) impromptu relationship, which dissolved just as quickly as it began, giving me no time with their characters to care about their eventual fate.

Both Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet give excellent performances, as do the entire cast. I just disliked their characters. The technical aspects of the film were well done. The way the film showcases memories, and the way they subsequently disappeared/folded into each other was expertly crafted and brilliantly edited. The only issue is the story and the characters didn't work for me. No matter how good the direction and editing is, the majority of the the time a film lives or dies by the strength of it's story and it's characters, and here it ultimately failed.