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Memento
2000
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 |
| Genres | Thriller |
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Memento
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 on his wife. Knocked unconscious, Leonard wakes up with a rare brain condition--he no longer possesses short-term memory. He can remember his name and all the details of his past, but he can no longer make new memories. Armed with a careful system of remembering details (he compulsively snaps Polaroids and scribbles notes, then tattoos the important facts directly onto his body), the distraught Leonard goes on a manhunt to avenge his wife's death. To illustrate the unique and frightening state of the protagonist's mind (he cannot remember what happened even seconds before), Nolan takes a brilliantly successful risk in telling the story backward. The film begins with Leonard killing the man he's looking for. From there MEMENTO unravels a compellingly disconcerting trail back to the start. As the layers of the story are peeled back scene by scene, Leonard's involvement with two enigmatic "friends"--who both claim to be helping him--complicates the mystery.
Based on a short story by the director's brother, Jonathan Nolan, MEMENTO is an incredibly original film that is so wonderfully puzzling and eerily ambiguous that it will surely warrant repeated viewings.
| Starring | Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano |
|---|---|
| Director | Christopher Nolan |
| Studio | PATHE DISTRIBUTION |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 49 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Collections | 100 must-see movies |
| Genres | Thriller |
| Language | English |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Released | DVD: 30 Apr 2001 Production year: 2000 |
| Format | DVD |
Memento (2000)
Or you can rent each disc individually:
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Critics' reviews (6)
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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.
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"...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..."
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Most helpful member's review
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70 out of 77 people found this review helpful
Simply outstanding
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. -
Most recent members' review
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7 out of 12 people found this review helpful
What's this all about?
I ordered memento, watched it and sent it back. Later, I receive this.... the other 2 cds that belong with the film, AND it was classed as a separate film rental. Surely that's not right, it should have been with the film! Only gave it a rating of 1 star because I didn't even watch it, I'm not bothered about seeing how they made it, or watching it again with a commentary. Would have rather had another film to watch instead of this being counted as a separate film!
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News and features
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Smaller productions are decent, says Pearce
- 03 Apr 2007
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
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Memento
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 ...
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