eternal sunshine of the spotless mind
You can definitely get a good idea of this story from reading the reviews on Amazon.com, but I'll give you my thoughts. My wife and I invited over some friends to watch the movie last night before the JT and the Clouds show at Gunther Murphy's.
This was one of the most clever movies that I've ever seen. Spoilers don't even tell the whole story, as the audience gets to see Jim Carrey in his first real performance. The movie is billed as on offbeat romantic comedy, but the comedy is either very dark or very hidden in many places. I found it funny, but I could see how nobody else would really be laughing...
The story of Joel and Clementine and their somewhat twisted past is where the movie begins and ends, with the history thrown in the middle. The movie focuses on the dreams and memories of Joel, and they do a great job of showing you what he dreams and how the mind can control dreams and thoughts in a very conscious way.
Honestly, I don't know what to say about it other than it was a very clever, smart love story. It definitely gave me the same feeling that Lost in Translation gave me, so if you enjoyed that movie I'm sure you'd enjoy ESSM. Give it a rent and I'm sure you'll be happy...
Recommendations: Kottke