07/14/10 - Memento

Memento (2000, 113 min)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0209144/

It surprised me to realize that Memento came out all the way back in 2000. I can say with a little pride that I actually watched this in early 2001 after seeing it on a "Best of 2000" list. It got me hooked on Nolan and I was anxious for Insomnia in a few years. I hadn't seen the whole thing since those nine years ago though, but I did remember the main twist. Thus, this watch would be mainly to focus on some of the little things and nuances of the film.

The film follows Leonard (Guy Pearce) who suffers from a memory problem. Throughout the movie we are led to believe that he is searching for his wife's killer. Also playing prominent roles in his search are Teddy Gammell (Joe Pantoliano) and Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss).

Memento works great on so many different levels. Obviously at the forefront here is the way that it tells the story which is basically in reverse. This never becomes a gimmick in my opinion but is just a fun and cool way to do things based on the situation of the character - and thus it works. It's similar to reading Catch-22: neither really make sense at first but after a bit of a time investment everything starts coming together in a great way. Memento is confusing at first, sure, but the beginning is really memorable so it's fine to have it be confusing here. By this I mean it's not like confusing and boring things are happening to kick off the movie but rather exciting moments that are less likely to be forgotten. I guess my whole point here is that it's not all that confusing once the film gets going and even at the start it's still really exciting so it's okay.

Another great thing that Memento does is how it sets up tension. Really, we know how each scene is going to end since it was the beginning of the previous segment. Yet Nolan is still able to create great scenes that are emotional and put you on the edge of your seat. It's pretty amazing really. I think the one that most stands out for me is the Natalie slap scene where she lies to Leonard and tells him her boyfriend hit her. This moment plays into three different segments of the film and it carries different significance each time.

Memento is known also for its twist at the end. I feel there's two types of movie twists. The first is the type where there's a few scattered clues throughout the movie that point towards the big surprise. This way, a very observant watcher or a repeated viewer will notice them and it gives the film a big rewatch factor. Though it's maybe cliché now, The Sixth Sense fits this bill. On the other hand, there's the big surprise that comes out of left field. There's usually no clues here and the twist is supposed to be more of a shocker. The Usual Suspects is an example of this in my opinion (though I need to rewatch this to actually confirm it). Anyway, the first works a lot better in my opinion and this is the approach that Memento takes. I've actually read of people watching Memento again immediately after watching it for the first time along with the existence of a special cut that gives the entire story in chronological order. What I'm getting at here is that the twist of Memento works great, plain and simple. It's a great mystery film and not just because it's unique in a lot of what it does.

I actually can't think about what else to say about Memento that hasn't been stated to death. I actually think that Memento gets a little bit too much praise (it's in the Top 30 on IMDb which is a bit too high in my opinion). I think the confusing and unique nature of the film lend it to be overpraised a bit but it's still a highly quality film. I definitely rank it up there with one of the top mysteries of the past twenty or so years.

Overall, I gave this film an 8/10. Like I've said above, Memento works on a ton of levels. It's a great movie and not just because it's quirky: it's legitimately great. It also works on other levels such as creating cool and memorable characters, being thought provoking, or having a high rewatch factor along with all the basic little things that a movie needs such as good pacing and appropriate sets (i.e. the hotel room contributes an appropriate claustrophobic feel). All this combines to give Memento a pretty high score from me.