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 So,
where was I? Oh, yeah. Memento. I was about to write my review
for Memento.
Wow, what
a movie! I'm so excited that I don't even know where to begin. I
guess the most ironic thing about Memento -- a film about
someone with a memory disorder -- is just how memorable it is. Not
only is it the best movie I've seen so far this year, but it just
may be one of the most incredible moviegoing experiences I've had
in the last decade. I honestly can't remember the last time I sat
through a movie and thought about how much I couldn't wait to see
it again -- before it was even over.
So, what's
it all about? Ah, now that's a good question. I'm still trying to
figure that out myself. It's kind of hard to put into words, but
I will say this: Memento is a movie that needs to be seen
at least twice before it even begins to make any sense. That's a
compliment, and that alone guarantees it a spot on my list of the
top 10 best movies of 2001 -- and it's only March!
Lenny (Guy
Pearce) used to be a happily married insurance investigator, but
that all changed after his wife was raped and killed during a break-in.
That accident left Lenny with a bad case of short-term memory loss.
While he can remember everything about his life up until the accident,
beyond that, he can't retain anything for more than 15 minutes.
Only by writing everything down, taking Polaroid pictures, and covering
his own body with tattoos is he able to know where he's been and
where he's going. Lenny's disorder makes his obsessive quest to
find his wife's killer damn near impossible, and only with the help
of his shady friend Teddy (Joe Pantoliano) and a sympathetic bartender
named Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss) does Lenny stay on the right track.
Or does he?
Director Christopher
Nolan combines elements of Pulp Fiction and The Limey
to deliver an ingenious, revolutionary, and suspenseful thriller
that takes film noir to a whole new level. While the story is told
in reverse, the film miraculously feels like it still progresses
from beginning to end. In this case, instead of wondering "what's
going to happen next?," you're left wondering "how did that happen?"
-- with each passing scene. Sound confusing? Just wait until you
see it. Whatever the case is, staying at the edge of your seat and
trying to figure out what it all means is the best part of the experience!
It may be
Christopher Nolan's style, but it's Guy Pearce's movie. Up until
now, he hasn't had much luck following up his incredible performance
in 1997's LA Confidential (while co-star Russell Crowe turned
into a bona-fide movie star). Staying in the independent scene with
Memento was a good move, since it gave Pearce a character
who is engaging, sympathetic, obsessed, and even a little bit funny.
Supporting turns from The Matrix's Carrie-Anne Moss and the
always reliable Joe Pantoliano (who is still best know as Guido
the killer pimp from Risky Business) only serve to round
out an exceptionally unique film.
With so much
subtext going on in Memento, one has to wonder what it's
really about. Sure, it's about one man's quest for justice, but
there's more to it than that. Is it about trust? Is it about the
accuracy of one person's memory? Is it about the search for identity
and purpose? Is it about karma? The truth is, it's about all of
those things, and each time you see it, you'll get something else
out of it.
Like The
Usual Suspects, The Sixth Sense, and Fight Club,
Memento is a film that needs to be observed, dissected, and
absorbed before it can be fully appreciated. It's a riveting, innovative,
and challenging murder-mystery-in-reverse that has an ending (or
is it a beginning?) so chilling that it will haunt you for days.
One final
note -- don't let your mind wander when watching the film. Don't
go out for popcorn. Don't go to the bathroom. Don't even look down
at your watch. The split second that you do, you may miss some crucial
detail pertinent to understanding the rest of the movie. All the
pieces are there, and as long as you stay focused, you'll have no
problem putting them all together -- that is, as long as you don't
forget anything.
So, back to
the movie. Waitaminute -- where was I? Oh, yeah. Memento.
I was about to write my review for Memento...
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