Memento
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Movie Reviews of Memento
Movie Review: Unique and refreshing, the type of film that keeps you guessing as well as entertained...
Summary: 5 Stars
`Memento' is probably one of the only films that must be watched from beginning to end, no if ands or buts, in order for it to be even enjoyed. I mean this with all sincerity, if you miss the first thirty seconds you're screwed. That said, when caught from the very beginning `Memento' is also one of the most enjoyable and richly rewarding films to be watched. It's a true stunner of a film, from plot to execution, and is one that will instigate lots of post-watching conversations. The acting is top-notch, especially from the likes of Guy Pearce (looking like a scraggly Brad Pitt covered in interesting tattoos) who just blew me away here. I've never really been a fan of Pearce. In `L.A. Confidential' I felt he was the weakest link and pretty much everything else I see him in I just don't feel him, but here he just soars. The direction of the film is a thing of beauty really, and Christopher Nolan has pretty much established himself as one of our greatest new-wave directors. He truly gets into his material and delivers this masterful story in a very unique way which proves to be the grandest embellishment.
The film centers around Leonard Shelby, a man who's lost his wife to rape and murder and in the process lost his mind. He has set out to find the man who did this and punish him. The movie opens with him killing a man named Teddy. This is the end of the film, or I should say the end of the story. Teddy is, for the sake of discussion, the man who raped and murdered Leonard's wife. The film them jumps back in ten minute segments until we get to the beginning of the film, or should I say the beginning of the story, where we uncover who Leonard came to this conclusion. What makes this direction so interesting is that the film gives you just enough information to keep you guessing. It tells you just a little bit and then takes you back and fills you in, leaving new doors open for interpretation before taking you back again and filling you in. It's truly a masterpiece of a film and executed so well it's a real shame the academy snubbed Nolan his directing nomination.
Like I mentioned, Pearce is a spectacle in this film, but there are two other performances within `Memento' that deserve attention. For one we have Carrie-Anne Moss' who plays a barmaid who is helping Leonard for reasons yet to be uncovered. Is she really concerned with Leonard's plight or is she using him for her own selfish gain? Moss surprised me here because I'm really not familiar with her work aside from `The Matrix' and a film like `The Matrix' doesn't really allow the actors to shine, but here she delves into the meat of her character and delivers a great performance. The real star though, the actor that outshines them all, is Joe Pantoliano of `The Sopranos' fame (yes, that's Ralph). As Teddy Joe is spot on and delivers an exciting, fresh and completely absorbing performance. It's funny because my wife and I are HUGE `Sopranos' buffs and when we saw `Ralph' we just about died (since his character was one we loathed from start to his finish) but here he completely sheds his `Sopranos' persona and delivers a separate performance altogether and it paid off wonderfully for him.
`Memento' is a film for the ages. It's one of those movies that may not be your cup of tea, and for that I understand, but really, there isn't much to dislike with this film (that is if you catch it from the start). There are so many films where one is advised to sit back and turn your mind off but here I'm telling you to sit up and turn your mind on because `Memento' is the type of film that will keep you thinking, keep you guessing, and in the process keep you completely entertained. The end, or should I say the beginning, plays out in a wonderfully inventive way that is unexpected yet ultimately rewarding. It packs a huge `wow' factor and I just love that about this film. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to spoilt he surprise, but just be aware that it's not what you'd expect, and that's a beautiful thing!
Movie Review: Maybe a different kind of review...
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been flipping through the one-star reviews for this movie (more than I would have expected) and there are a few themes which are repeated in these viewers' complaints:- There was a predominant artsy-fartsy, pseudo-intellectual air about the film.
- "I couldn't follow it!"
- The ending stunk.
- We don't really find out what we want to find out (i.e. that the main character is an unblemished hero).
Here's my response to these thoughts, because I would hope that these poor reviews won't deter people from experiencing this movie:
Yes, there's probably a artsy sort of pseudo-intellectual thing going on here. That comes from the pseudo-intellectuals themselves, however, so they can choose how to view it if they like, and you can do your own thing. If there's one thing you should pick up from this movie, it's the idea of perception being reality, so if you get yourself caught up in the artsy-fartsy intellectualism, you'll probably concede your chances of enjoying the movie. It's a movie, not a textbook... enjoy it, don't take it too seriously.
If you can't follow the plot... I can't help you there. You might want to consult your doctor about a possible ADD affliction, though.
If you had a problem with the ending, well, you're not alone. I loved this movie, but when I watched it the first time I was pretty disappointed with the ending. I guess it comes from our "big Hollywood film" conditioning- there's always gotta be something at the end. I contend, as everyone else does, that this film defies convention. I, however, believe it defies convention in other ways aside from the obvious "back-to-front" presentation. We're slapped with an ending which is neither tragic nor joyous. It's just kind of there. What you make of it is up to you. If you choose to take the 21st century prepackaged hyper-caffeinated approach, then you may find the ending to be completely lacking any substance. On the other hand, if you keep your mind open (and it should be WIDE open after 90 minutes of this brain-twister) you might find something else. I won't tell you what to find; if I did, I'd be one of the same pretentious, self-appointed intellectuals that draw the ire of a typical average Joe moviegoer.
Finally, what I enjoy most about this movie is the character development. I read a complaint that we never get a grasp of who each character truly is. I think that's true, but I think that's what makes it great. There can be poor character development which makes us wonder who is who and renders us unable to discern between good and evil, and then there can be brilliant character development which aims to erase the fast food mentality of black and white, prepackaged archetypes and the like. I'm not sure anything in this movie is necessarily brilliant, but I do enjoy the fact that we DON'T know the characters and their integrity. What we're left with is an introspective on truth in relation to perception. We're also reminded that guaging human morality is a fudgy proposition- we know what we're supposed to do, but even the best of us aren't always inclined to do so. Each of the three characters who are the main foci of this movie are difficult to read- are they friend or enemy? Are they rife with malicious intent, or are they ordinary people put in extroardinary situations in which they must conduct themselves with less-than-admirable behaviors? It is painful to some viewers that they can not differentiate between hero and villain, and that may be why this movie is not for everyone. Whatever the case may be, you are cheating yourself if you don't give this movie a fair shake. It is a tremendous movie which will surprise and shock you as well as make you think.
Of course, I could just be full of it too.
Movie Review: Memento: The Freshmaker!
Summary: 5 Stars
Having recently seen and enjoyed "The Lookout", another film which features a character trying to piece together his life after a traumatic head injury leaves him memory-challenged, I was inspired to go back and see its cinematic sire of sorts - the now-classic mindwarp that is Memento. And though I bought this DVD when it was released and had watched it twice (which is the minimum number of recommended viewings for this film), it's just collected dust for five years and I hadn't returned to it since.
Aptly enough, I had forgotten much of it, making much of Memento seem newly fresh yet oddly familiar, much like most of its main character Leonard's daily doings. Leonard, as we pretty much all know by now, is trying to get revenge for the killing of his wife, which is made somewhat more challenging (to say the least) by the fact that he suffers from extreme short-term memory loss and can't remember any more than ten minutes at a time. As Leonard himself will tell almost anyone he meets: "I can't make new memories - everything fades."
All of which would in itself make for an interesting movie. But what makes this film truly ingenious is the way it is constructed and edited. You know, one of my dearly-departed favorite author Kurt Vonnegut's Eight Rules for Writing Fiction is: "start as close to the end as possible." Well, Memento takes this rule - written by one of the ultimate storytellers - and pushes it to its extreme, actually starting AT the end and then working backwards - which makes for one of the all-time greatest stories.
Now, a lot of movies that are assembled in this kind of non-linear time-jumpy kind of way are gimmicky to a fault, and confusing for no good reason. But in Memento, this style of editing actually serves the story and makes it better, because - by showing us Leonard's perpetually-perplexing world out of sequence - it forces us to experience the movie in the same disoriented way that Leonard experiences the world. So as Leonard puzzles his way through his life, so do we. This makes us empathize and connect with the film's central character in a way few other movies have ever been able to achieve before or since (whichever way you happen to travel through time in your search). Of course, the fact the Guy Pearce's performance is so riveting helps us enormously with our empathy as well.
Anyway, there are about a thousand (or so) other reviews here that will tell you more about what happens in the movie, but I think that this story - more than most - relies on the surprise that each new/past detail reveals, so I don't want to ruin any of this film's revelations if you are lucky enough to be contemplating seeing this movie for the first time.
And if you are considering watching this picture for the first time (or even if you've already seen it), I would definitely encourage you to buy this DVD. Because the great thing about owning a movie like Memento, as my experience will attest, is that it rewards multiple viewings. And the depth and the detail (in addition to the design) of the film ensure that each viewing is made fresh with new insight and understanding.
In the end, Memento is so much more than just a non-linear, well-crafted crime thriller. It's also an exploration of what makes up a person's identity, and an examination of the malleability of experience. Ultimately, Memento shows us how all our memories are fallible, and - to some degree - we all have to use devices like Leonard uses to remember things: whether it's jotting down phone numbers, taking pictures on our vacations, or (in my case just now) watching a DVD to remind you of all the things you loved about a movie in the first place.
Movie Review: a brilliant tour de force
Summary: 5 Stars
Christopher Nolan's mind-bending thriller "Memento" is one of those rare instances in which the form of a movie is designed to match its content. Here is a film all about the nature of short-term memory, which, by its own ingenious structure, challenges the audience to cope with its own mastery of short-term memory. Guy Pearce stars as Leonard Shelby, a man who suffers from a "condition" brought on by a trauma to the head that prevents him from being able to retain any short-term memories (he can remember his life only up to the moment of his wife's rape and murder). To cope with his affliction, Leonard writes himself copious notes, mostly on the backs of polaroids he takes on a regular basis but sometimes on his own body in the form of informational tattoos. To approximate the sense of dislocation of time and place that Leonard feels on a daily basis - as he has to reorient himself to people and events he has recently met and since forgotten - Nolan has chosen to structure his film in a backward progression, so that the first scene ends up being the most recent and the final scene the earliest in time. This technique is not exactly an original one, since the 1983 movie "Betrayal" used roughly the same format in the context of a romantic drama. Still, "Memento" deserves enormous credit not only for trusting its audience to be able to cope with this complex style but for managing to keep most of the plot details well-focused and coherent for most of the film's duration.
One of the risks of a film like "Memento" is that it could, if handled badly, easily become a mere exercise in technical "gimmickry." One of the ways that Nolan avoids that trap is by devising a plot that is as gripping as any to be found in a traditionally structured example of film noir. "Memento" is filled with the kinds of narrative twists and turns, surprise revelations and moral ambiguities that form the basis for any good example of the genre. More important, Nolan makes Leonard a compellingly sympathetic character, one whom we come to care for because his plight is so heartrending at its core. Here is a man who not only has to deal with the immense incomprehensibilities of his life but who cannot even benefit from the time factor that helps mourning people come to terms with the loss of a loved one. To Leonard, his wife's death is a perpetual recent event, one from which he can never attain that emotional distance so key to finally overcoming his grief.
Special note should be taken of Guy Pearce, who delivers a knockout performance as Leonard, perfectly capturing the determination, frustration and emotional pain that define the character. Carrie-Ann Moss and Joe Pantoliano offer superb support as two perpetual "strangers" who play significant roles in Leonard's strangely dislocated and fragmented life - yet just what those roles are is as much a mystery to us as it is to Leonard. David Julyan's subtle and haunting musical score and Wally Pfister's fine cinematography greatly contribute to the unique quality of the film.
Watching "Memento" is like entering a strange, mystical dream. Like Leonard, we feel as if we have suddenly been stripped of that ability to fully make sense out of the chaotic world around us. We feel cut loose from our mental moorings and find ourselves adrift in a world bereft of the rules of chronological reasoning we cling to so desperately for survival. How many movies actually manage to shift our paradigm of perception and make us look anew at the way we observe the world around us? Not many, I can assure you.
Christopher Nolan's brilliant and audacious cinematic tour de force reawakens our faith in the medium and those who dare to challenge it.
Movie Review: A Review In Two Parts
Summary: 5 Stars
The first part of this review is for those who have not seen this film. The second part is specifically for those who have viewed this film more than once.In this first part I will mention that this film is highly unusual. Even a description of the plot and characters would only be my abstract and subjective opinion. You the viewer, are the final judge as to what actually took place within the story. This movie is that obscure, intricate, illusive, and downright subjective. This is not (not at all) the type of movie that you go into viewing with preconceived ideas--whatever they may be. If you are the type of person who just has to know about a movie before you even watch it, you are doing yourself a grave disservice in this case. Exercise your mind and your comprehension skills and view this film without any foreknowledge, other than the fact that you are in for a special dosage of mental stimulation.
I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys being intellectually challenged. Those of you who are intuitive and sensitive to subtleties, those of you who notice things that others overlook, and those of you who are clever and inventive will love this movie. Detectives, medical professionals, psychologists, sociologists, scientists, mathematicians, and creative professionals, such as writers, will find this film very rewarding.
This is certainly the type of film that you will want in DVD. You will have questions that only the extras on the DVD can answer for you. There is also a website set up specifically for admirers of this fantastic movie. If after watching, you can figure out the website address, you are very clever.
In this second part I would like to discuss my opinion of what I believe is an overlooked aspect of the plot and the main character, Leonard. If you think I am on to something, than e-mail me.
I have many ideas about how to interpret this film, however I am going to give a very unusual interpretation here, in hopes that there are others out there that, like me, like to think "out side the box", so to speak.
The way I see it, Leonard is a person who loves to kill. He has been killing prior to meeting this person he refers to as his wife, who is actually not his wife. He uses his memory condition as a contributor to his psychological dysfunction (his need to kill). He remembers what he needs to remember, and forgets just what he needs to forget. Leonard displays both sociopathic and psychopathic behavior. He surrounds himself with abusive, aggressive individuals who fuel his justification for his heinous actions. Leonard is extremely clever and intelligent, and he is disciplined and systematic to a precision.
Leonard was committed to a mental institution prior to meeting his supposed wife--whom he also killed. There is special meaning to the one tattoo that Leonard can see at all times, "Remember Sammy Jenkis," and it is not because Leonard is Sammy. It is because Sammy is the first person Leonard killed, prior to his incarceration at the mental institution, as this is Leonard's reminder of his purpose in life as a killer. And the real kicker is that Leonard would have everyone believe that his memory condition is a physical handicap, when in fact it is a mental projection produced by his severe psychosis.
And the beauty of this film is that it does not matter if my opinions are near fact or far fetched, what matters is that this film allows me to create what reality I would have with it.