|
| . |
|
Memento 2000 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Christopher Nolan
R, 113 min. (violence, profanity, drugs) |
 |
Starring: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Stephen Tobolowsky, Harriet Sansom Harris, Callum Keith Rennie, Jorja Fox
Producers: Jennifer Todd, Suzanne Todd
Screenplay: Christopher Nolan
Distributor: Newmarket Capital Group
Released: 3/16/01 (Limited) |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
 
It's not very often that a movie comes along and challenges an audience to think - to piece together what's going on and make
their own interpretations of what is taking place. A movie that can challenge you to piece together a story - only giving you
enough to want more pieces of that puzzle to make your own picture - and then decipher it in your own words, well, that's a film
that should be viewed by all those even mildy interested in the movies. This is powerful filmmaking, and that's exactly what
Memento, a stunning motion picture that will surely be mentioned in the same breath as other groundbreaking efforts such as
Pulp Fiction or Fargo, is - proof that movies can be used for more than just plain entertainment. Director Christopher Nolan has
crafted a daring and brilliant film - one that should be nominated for best picture, best director, and best actor.
Leonard (Guy Pearce) is a former insurance salesman that is trying to track down his wife's killer, but has one small problem -
he can't remember anything for more than just a few hours. His memory is intact up until the murder of his wife, then it all
goes blank. In order to piece anything together, he must furiously write down reminder messages on polaroids or his body in
the form of tattoos. He is helped by Teddy (Joe Pantoliano), who helps him remember recent events and remind him of what
he is currently investigating, and later becomes involved with Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss), a bar tender who has a mysterious
motive. Eventually Leonard must decide who and what he will trust, if he is to ever figure out who raped and murdered his
wife.
In some ways, Memento can be difficult to follow - especially if you not paying attention to detail or are not involved in the
picture enough to remember previous scenes. Director Christopher Nolan wanted to do something different - instead of just
telling a suspense story in chronological order - he tells the story backwards. The first scene of the film is actually the last
part of the story, and the last scene is actually the first part of the story. This was a very clever way of involving the audience -
of putting them in the shoes of Leonard. The audience is, in a way, in the same boat as Leonard - they don't know
what happened prior to what they have just encountered. They can't remember the past, only the pieces of the story that have been
told, and must rely upon those clues to get to the next part of the story.
There is also another story that is told in segments throughout the movie - a story that is crucial to the understanding of
the overall story in the film. Without this, it would be extremely difficult to understand the picture at all.
A world of possibilities opens up towards the end of the film (or should I say the beginning of the story) that leaves it to the
viewer to decide what is real and what isn't - which version of the truth is more believable, depending on who's story you believe.
That's what makes this film so intriguing and fascinating - you aren't cornered into a predictable and conventional end - you
decide what really happened. And your version may not be the same as mine, and so on. The groundwork is laid, the story is
told, and you interpret the results. That's what can make going to the movies fun - instead of being spoonfed some lame
excuse for a motion picture.
Although somewhat similar to The Sixth Sense in its challenging ending, Memento far exceeds it in the realm of possibilities and
interpretations. It's really not fair to compare Memento to any other film, because there really hasn't been a film like
it - it's created a new genre all its own. Christopher Nolan deserves much of the credit for this, but the superb acting performances
by the entire cast - especially Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) - take this picture to the next level. Pearce gives a riveting
portrayal of Leonard, you really feel as though you are there with him every step of the way, and he deserves a best actor
nomination for it. His range is really stretched here, and this is the finest effort of his career. Carrie-Anne Moss, most known
for her action role as Trinity in The Matrix, shows that she has a lot more than just a pretty face. She blends into the picture
well - she doesn't distract from the story - and gives a believable performance as Natalie. Another Matrix actor, Joe Pantoliano,
is equally believable as the cop "friend" of Leonard, Teddy.
As aforementioned, when a movie like this comes out of nowhere to challenge viewers and make you think - it's hard not
to remember it when picking a year's best films. But Memento is on a different level - it is easily one of the best films to
come along in a long while - and will be difficult to top as this year's best film. The brilliance of this film can't be overstated,
the sheer depth of its subject matter and visionary directing skills place it among the best films in recent memory. There are
very few movies that stick in your mind long after you viewed it, but this is one of them. In fact, I can only list a handful of
movies that have had a bigger impact on me in a theater in the past decade - which also means that Memento is one
of the best films I have ever had the pleasure of sitting through.
© 2001 Jonathan Cornwell
|
| Masterpiece - Classic; Movie perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See; One of the year's best films |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
© 2000 - present ReelCriticReviews
All movie pictures are registered trademarks and/or copyrights of their respective holders
Their use on this site is for informational purposes only and does not imply ownership
|
|
