Memento (2001) [PG-13]

I really enjoyed this movie. It was hard to follow, out of time line with half of it going backwards, some of it in black and white and the rest in color, the oddest affliction to a lead character, and just plain exciting.

The story is about Leonard (Guy Pearce) has no ability to create new memories. He was injured trying to save his wife as she was being raped and murdered in their home. He was left without the ability to create new memories. His mission is to hunt down and kill the murderer.

It's pretty interesting watching him cope with having no memory. He takes lots of Polaroids and writes notes to himself on them, things like "don't trust him" and "home." He writes notes to himself on post-its, but most disturbing is his tattooing any clues he uncovers about his prey directly onto his body.

The movie has two storylines moving in two directions. The color part moves backwards in overlapping scenes, while the black and white, which are mainly conversations on the phone which tell a story, move forward.

For some people, Memento is a mishmash. For me, the movie is fascinating and troubling. Our hero (?) is definitely headed in some direction and we are going along for the ride, trying to make sense out of it. I found the end, which is the beginning, to be a real shocker! Ultimately, the theme of the movie is "Never Underestimate the Power of Denial," which has sort of become my motto.

This is the movie which first brought Christopher Nolan to Hollywood's attention. He is, of course, the director of Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and Inception. Memento is fresh, daring and original. Since its release, other directors have used shifting time lines, but the thrill Nolan creates in this movie has not been duplicated.



DIRECTOR: Christopher Nolan.  CAST: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Mark Boone, Jr., Stephen Tobolowsky, Jorja Fox, Callum Keith Rennie.

AWARDS:  Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 42 wins and 33 nominations.