Rating: 
Summary: Probably the best film I've ever watched
Review: "Memento" is an absolute masterpiece of modern film. Christopher Nolan does a perfect job of capturing the emotion and despair of Leonard Shelby. See, the plot goes something like ths: Shelby is happily married when someone breaks into his house and kills/rapes his wife, while in the process smashing his head against a mirror, damaging his brain and causing him to lose all short-term memory. Shelby then goes on a manhunt to avenge his wife's death. This is made much more difficult by the lack of police cooperation and his condition, which forces him to write himself endless notes, and, for the really important stuff, get tatoos made so he'll never forget. This premise alone would be entertaining enough, but Nolan decided to do something a little different: He tells the story all backwards and out-of-order. At first this is quite confusing, as the viewer is forced to see things the way Leonard does - in 10-minute sections that reveal the developing plot, intercut with shorter sections that show scenes from Leonard's past. This is crucial to the meaning of the film. So Leonard finds some assistance in Teddy (Joe Pantaliano - "The Matrix) and Natalie (Carrie Anne-Moss "The Matrix"). The problem is, Leonard can never be sure if these "friends" are genuinely trying to help him, or taking advantage of him and his condition. I can't really go into any more detail without giving away certain plot elements. Just do yourself a favor and rent, buy, borrow, steal, or bootleg this movie. "Memento" is one of the most exciting thrillers to come out in a loooong time, and will stand as a milestone in filmmaking for this century, and the next.
Rating:
Summary: This takes some work to watch, but it's worth it. . . .
Review: I kept wanting to hit pause and think about this one, as the backwards story-telling can get to be a bit much at times. It certainly was worth it, though, to get to the end (actually, the beginning) and see what the filmmakers had accomplished. The acting is very good here, and the characters are all believable and fascinating. The most fascinating thing about it is that they've created a film that mirrors the main character's method of keeping track of things--they've made a series of snapshots that continue to answer questions about something we know but don't have any memory of. And without ruining the ending, they've made us doubt or question virtually everything we've seen up until the final frame. We'll never know who Leonard truly is or what he's truly done, but this film is a great ride to get to the end (beginning) of the road.
Rating:
Summary: Very good, but can YOU follow the plot?
Review: I'm not going to rehash what other reviewers said -- it's a great movie, period. The important thing for many is that the plot line CAN be hard to follow. Some people will get lost along the way. But it's an incredible story line, very well written, excellent acting. One striking thing about the movie is that Leonard's (the main character's) condition is a mirror of how many people go through life. Every day is going to be more of the same unless you keep track of where you are and where you want to end up. I found the movie very inspiring, although in a strange way.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: I can't explain how ingenius the concept of this movie is. The film starts out with Joe Pantaliano (Teddy a.k.a. John G.) being killed by Guy Pearce. Don't worry, that's not a spoiler. The reason it is not is because the movie runs backwards. The scenes in color are the things playing backwards. The reason for this is that the real twists of the movie are revealed at the beginning of the story. I was absolutely SHOCKED at the end. Really, this movie is a classic when it comes to suspense and originality. The synopsis is sort of confusing within the movie, but the basics are quite comprehendable. Guy Pearce's character has a memory problem, therefore not allowing him to know who to trust and who not to trust, as he cannot form new memories of people, places and things. He has to write down everything and take pictures of every person. This also adds to the interest of the movie. But essentially, he is trying to discover who raped and murdered his wife, his last memory. Guy Pearce was phenominal, and deserved a 2001 Oscar nomination. He really was powerful, conveying a memory problem most people probably could not even begin to fathom having to live with. Joe Pantaliano plays the "bad guy" very well. He makes you dislike him, much like he did in The Matrix. He has proved time and time again that he is a wonderful talent. Carrie-Anne Moss was alright as Guy Pearce's confidant of sorts. She basically runs a bar and helps him find John G., the alleged killer of his wife. I do often notice how she is a good character actress. I have seen her in three movies: The Matrix, this movie, and one of my favorites, Chocolat. In each movie she really plays the specific characteristics of each person well. For instance, her seriousness and love for Neo in The Matrix was just right. And her extreme "uptightness" in Chocolat really made you angry. I used to dislike her acting somewhat, but now respect her after seeing more of her work. I look forward to seeing more of her movies. Bottom Line: I was surprised that this film did not win anything at the Oscars, but luckily has earned its standing as a true classic among movies. (I give it an A+)
Rating: 
Summary: A Masterpiece in Cinema
Review: As great of a film "Memento" is, not a great number of people have heard of it. Despite rave reviews, if you were to mention it to someone, they'd most likely be clueless, which is sad, because many people are missing out on an excellent movie. "Memento" is the story of Leonard Shelby, an ex-insurance agent who is on a mission to avenge his wife, who was murdered in the same incident that stole the rest of his life. See, when Leonard's wife was murdered, he was hit in the head, causing damage to the part of his brain involved in memory. Because of this, Leonard lacks the ability to make new memories. He can hold onto them in his mind if he stays focused, but even then it's only for a half hour or so, and then they are lost. Each morning, he needs to figure out where he is and what he's doing... even the fact that he's trying to avenge his lost spouse. Leonard has three ways of keeping his memories: One is through notes he tapes around his enviroment and body, unimportant things such as shaving and such, daily routines. Another is through photographs, which is for things more important. He takes a picture of something, writes down what it means (people, places, items) and keeps the photos with him. The other, more disturbing method, is to get or make tatoos on his body, from what his mission is to clues on the killer's identity. The premise for the film is already great and I haven't (and won't) discuss the meaty details of the chases, the moral dilemnas, the false memories, the case file, or the story of Sammy Jenkins. But Christopher Nolan wasn't finished yet. He wanted to make it so that the audience didn't know what had happened either, like Leonard, and would discover it over time. So, the film starts at the end and works backwards, so you can see how things came to be from the shocking beginning, which also happens to be the climax... which takes place at the end. Surprisingly, "Memento" isn't a hard film to follow, and it's both interesting and exciting. You'll be intruiged at every point in the movie. There are a couple of imperfections, granted, but nothing is perfect. And this is speaking for the movie, as these are small imperfections. The DVD, on the other hand, has larger ones... The DVD is packed with information. It contains TV spots, documentaries, photos, and some neat facts and info. The problem is getting to those facts and information... The DVD menus are arranged so that it's as if you are in a psychiatric hospital taking an exam, one that will repeat its questions, randomly go off and on, and lead you back to the start without ever seeing what you wanted to. This is why it gets 4 stars instead of 5: while it's a nice and interesting idea for a DVD, it's unenjoyable when you are looking for a certain documentary or commentary, or even just want to watch the movie. I can see why this may have been done on the movie disc (to avoid Chapter Selection so people couldn't see it from start to finish) but the second disc that has all the information on it should have been set up a little more wisely. Great movie, mishappen DVD. Still, worth owning. -Escushion
Rating:
Summary: Innovative, Low-key
Review: This movie is rather low-key, subtle almost. It took a few minutes to "get it" but when I did, and grew comfortable with the pattern, it was a good watch. You are both intrigued and saddened at the plight of the poor guy whose short term memory is REALLY short term. The backwards plot is, of course, the outstanding feature but if the acting, dialogue and plot were not excellent, that fabulous plot would have been for naught. We've all seen moview, read books, viewed television shows that had intriguing stories only to lose interest when other elements were not up to par. This movie avoided that dilemma with a catchy dialogue, good actors and an even, arching direction that brought the entire story into focus. Rent the DVD and enjoy --This text refers to the DVD edition.
Rating:
Summary: Finally a movie you can't predict!
Review: So you go to the movie, you see it, you're already thinking about a zillion ending.......here, you already know the ending, you just need to find the beginning which IS the ending. Make sense? Not, GOOD!! That's the whole point of the movie, you DON'T know what's going to happend because like the hero of the movie, YOU don't know ANYTHING! It's a great movie, not for ... the I-Can't-follow-kinda of viewers. Acting is great. Fresh new face, fresh new style.
Rating:
Summary: MEMENTO: into the postmodern
Review: Looking back on all the films released in 2001, I cannot help but remember the promising and captivating indie flick, "Memento". The film continues to astound and baffle its viewers with its complex structure and gripping storyline. "Memento" was directed and written by the young prodigy, Christopher Nolan, who derived the movie from a short story that his brother, Jonathan Nolan, had previously written. The story of "Memento" revolves around its three main characters, Leonard, Natalie, and Teddy, who are played by Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Joe Pantoliano respectively. The movie follows Leonard as he searches for his wife's murderer. Leonard cannot form new memories since he was hurt during the "incident", rendering him unable to remember anything longer than fifteen minutes. Christopher Nolan uses this disability to his advantage, allowing him to play with ideas of constructed truth and uncertainties as the movie progresses. The backward sequence of events is one of the film's most innovative elements and makes certain surprises even more astonishing to the audience. It also forces the audience to rely on their own memory to make sense of the plot, which is a great parallelism that heightens the enjoyability of the movie. The use of "memory" is one of the film's most noteworthy innovations, but it is only second to the film's complex narrative structure and suggestive postmodern themes that truly set it apart from other films. Even though the film is very innovative, it can be easily viewed as regurgitated film noir with a new spin. "Film noir depict a world of pessimism, corruption and hopelessness, and are distinguished by their dim, shadowy appearance and dark overtones" (Hannsberry, 1998). "Memento" fits these characteristics, as it concerns itself with this specific tone and mood. So if you like feel-good movies, you might want to sit this one out. "Memento" leaves everything purposefully incomprehensible and debatable to further highlight the insignificance of absolute meaning. This will drive some of you insane, but for those of you that enjoy figuring out things for yourself and left with your own interpretations of the movie, then you should definitely watch this flick. Although the movie breaks numerous movie norms, I found that it is the movie's obscurity that makes it such a beautiful and noteworthy accomplishment. Christopher Nolan's "Memento" is a classic worth remembering, standing on its own two feet as an example of breaking from the norm while delving into serious modes of thought that makes the audience think and feel from a different perspective.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent the first time, even better second time around!
Review: Fans of no-brainer big action films needn't bother with this, but if you want a thought-provoking, intelligent film that will keep you guessing until the final seconds, be sure to see Memento. The device of telling the story in a series of short flashbacks makes it imperative that you watch closely and pay attention as the story unfolds, but your efforts are well rewarded. One of the best films I've seen in years!
Rating:
Summary: Cranky Reviewer please refrain from reviewing
Review: This movie is brilliant and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand. Please don't watch this movie if you prefer big Hollywood, big budget movies. If you prefer to see mindless movies with no plots, no character devlopments, and all explosions by all means go knock yourself out. It's pretty sad that their are so many idiots out their that don't appreciate movies such as this one.
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