Memento (2000)

“Memento”, the second film by English director Christopher Nolan, is one of those rare films which seem to come out of nowhere and, although not being a massive box-office hit, quickly acquire a large group of fans. A combination of a great idea for a film with some flawless acting and directing means it is one of the finest movies of recent years.

The plot is simultaneously both simple and very complicated. The main character, Leonard Shelby, has lost his short-term memory after being hit on the head by burglars who also killed his wife. The police believe they have caught the killer but Lenny knows there was another man “John G” was involved in the crime and sets out for revenge. Unfortunately the head injury means that he can only remember a thought for 15 minutes, after that it is forgotten unless he had managed to note it down – to help him remember he has to obsessively take notes (often in the form of tattoos on his body) and take Polaroid photographs of anything significant. Leonard (played by Guy Pearce) finds himself in a small town, apparently close to catching John G, with the help of others – including policeman Teddy (Joe Pantoliano) and the vengeance-seeking Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss) - whose motivations may not be what they originally appear to be.

So far, it’s a fairly straightforward thriller plot but the unique twist is that the story is told backwards - each successive 15-minute segment is set before the preceding segment. These are interspersed with flashbacks where Leonard explains the background to his quest and his condition. As is traditional with movies that start at the end (see The Usual Suspects) most of the film is dedicated to explaining the start - or end - of the movie, and each 15 minute section - a length which mirrors the amount of time the main character can remember something - sheds new light and frequently makes the audience change it’s opinion on what it happening.

With such a novel film structure, it would be vital that the storyline is consistent and in this respect it is probably more consistent than many “normal” movies. Although the storyline is complicated it’s never too difficult to follow if you are paying attention, although a second viewing is probably required to catch the many subtleties.

As well as providing a twisting story, the script also produces great dialogue as well, making Leonard into a fully developed character and making the people he comes into contact with interesting as well, and also providing a few moments of unexpected humour.

Pearce’s acting is excellent here, and looks set to make him a much bigger star, and there’s good support from The Matrix’s Carrie-Ann Moss and Joe Pantoliano as the two people who may or may not be Leonard’s friends.

It’s difficult to describe in words how well this movie fits together, and it’s hard to see how it could have been improved in any way. The plot is unique and fascinating and the quality of the production does justice to the brilliance of the script. An excellent movie, highly recommended.

Rating : 9 / 10

DVD Review (Region 2)

The DVD's must-buy feature is the ability to watch the film in the 'correct' order, i.e. see all the scenes in chronological order. While it isn't the best way to see the film it does make some of the plot a bit clearer. There's also a nice menu sequence and some fairly average featurettes.

DVD Rating : 8 / 10

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All content ©2003 William Marnoch.

Comments? Agree/Disagree with the Reviews? Suggestions? Random Ramblings? Whatever you might want to say, feel free to e-mail me at william@wmarnoch.freeserve.co.uk .