MEMENTO, the second feature by writer-director Christopher Nolan (FOLLOWING), is an intricately constructed film noir that masterfully inverts time to comment on the foggy relationship between memory and truth. MEMENTO tells the story of Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce), a former insurance investigator who witnesses a brutal attack .. Read more
| Starring | Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano |
|---|---|
| Director | Christopher Nolan |
| Run time | 109 mins |
| Genres | Thriller |
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This dazzling, highly original anti-thriller has a complex, jumbled narrative that, like the play and musical Merrily We Roll Along, moves backwards in time. Thus we begin with the climactic murder then regress through the events that led up to it. Matters are complicated by the fact that the killer (Guy Pearce) suffers from a rare form of amnesia, leaving him with no short-term memory. The mystery requires a lot of concentration, but the stunning final scene is ample reward. Not just an indulgence, the ingenious structure makes the point that memory, although unreliable, is what we depend upon for our sense of reality. We are not, however, likely to forget the name of writer/director Christopher Nolan, whose first film, the similar Following, signalled his brilliantly individual talent.
"...MEMENTO has the uniquely disorienting quality of a puzzle....It's the rare mystery in which every moment lives....Pearce's extraordinary performance lends even the smallest events the aura of a life-or-death search..."
An excellent film. Well directed and acted by all concerned. The way the film has been put together means that you frequently know what is coming, but not how you are going to get there. After you have watched and enjoyed the film as it was intended I recommend watching it forwards .Access the special features section of the DVD. Wait for the 'Memento Mori' picture to move and the pic of Leonard with a pic in his mouth to take up most of the screen (best wait for the words 'Memento Mori' to be barely visible at the edge of the screen). Press enter/play. A screen will come up telling you you have found the hidden version of the film. Click on 'Play'.
And then watch the film in chronological order including the end credits rolling backwards at the beginning and the opening segment running forwards.
It will give you a new perspective on all the characters as they are introduced to you in an entirely different way.
Really gripping movie ... but i completely fluffed it. Stopping it half way through because i got interrupted by unexpected guests and then starting it up again a week later. BAD MISTAKE! Blink and lose a thread and it's all over for this movie. Will have to rent again me thinks!
Former Neighbours star Guy Pearce has told a movie website how he tends to choose smaller productions to act in as they are "decent" and "don't seem to have a lot of pressure on them". Quint of Ain't It Cool News interviewed the actor, who achieved wide acclaim for his role in mind-boggling thriller Memento but has recently starred in Factory Girl with Sienna Miller. "I just find the things that I like really and any sort of bigger studio stuff that I get offered is... Read more