Memento
As it begins, the wildly innovative thriller Memento (2001) seems to be nothing but a twisted mind-fuck with no real answers. It's a montage of images thrown at you, apparently in reverse. The movie's details appear to start building upon themselves toward some absolute truth, which you assume will be revealed at film's end. But is it?
Leonard Shelby, played convincingly by Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential), is a man without memory. His wife was killed during a brutal attack in which he was knocked unconscious. After he awoke, it was discovered that he had lost his short-term memory and could not retain information for more than about 15 minutes. He does stipulate, however, that his memories of his life with his wife before the accident are intact. It's only events taking place after the attack that he cannot remember. Therefore, he is reduced to making constant notes to himself about everything.
Leonard takes it upon himself to find his wife's killer and avenge her murder. But in order to do this, he must rely solely on notes that he writes to himself detailing information about the supposed killer, which he obtains piece-by-piece with "help" from a variety of sources, including Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix) as the uber-bitch Natalie, and Joe Pantoliano ("The Sopranos") as the smarmy cop Teddy. Their motivations for helping Leonard, and the accuracy of Leonard's pre-accident memory, are called into question throughout the movie.
Rumor has it that director Christopher Nolan, who wrote the script based on a short story by his brother, claims there is one true explanation for what really happens in Memento, but the majority of viewers probably haven't figured out what that is. In the meantime, people must draw their own conclusions, since the movie's ending leaves you feeling even more confused than before. It jolts you with the uncomfortable realization that you don't have any idea what is truth and what is imagination, a theme that's central to the film itself. Memento leaves you so unsettled and bewildered that the only sensible thing to do is watch it again, right away while things are still fresh in your mind.
And then maybe, if you watch it again, you'll see it from a different angle.
What if everything you thought was true wasn't?
Throughout the film Leonard tells and re-tells the tragic story of Sammy Jankis, a man with a condition remarkably identical to Leonard's own -- anterograde amnesia. What's the significance of this story? That's just one of countless fascinating questions in Memento, a film that challenges you to keep up with its thickly knotted plot.
Another intriguing aspect of Memento is how Nolan intricately weaves all the fragments of the story together by switching back and forth between black and white and color scenes. The more layers you peel back, the more convoluted the film becomes. It seems like a puzzle with no solution, or a puzzle with many solutions. It's hard to say which. But at least one thing is clear -- Memento is a wicked mind-bender that's an absolute must-see.
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You can't afford to miss even a split second when you're watching, or you may miss something important. Save the brew for later. After you think you've figured it out, watch it again, and then reward yourself with an adult beverage at that time.
Again, anything that breaks your concentration during the movie (or after the movie, for that matter) is not recommended. You'll need all your strength to properly analyze what you've just witnessed when it's over. And this isn't exactly a "feel good" flick that inspires romance. It's brutal, intense and haunting.
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