Rating: 
Summary: So Extraordinarily Original!
Review: I absolutely adore this movie. The format speaks to the content, the content is very original, funny, spooky and thought-provoking. With repeat viewings, the talent of the people who made this movie becomes evident. I always hated Guy Pearce, but after this movie and his brilliant performance, I have nothing but respect for him. Imagine how hard it would be to play this character, let alone be someone who suffers from short-term memory loss. I've read case studies about things like this, and his portrayal of a man searching for some, any, meaning to his moment-to-moment existence is remarkable and heart-wrenching. This is the most perfectly put-together "mind-[mess]" movie I have ever seen.
Rating:
Summary: Super, Original, Perfect.
Review: I saw this movie when I knew nothing about the film, and was extremely suprised. It was so good. The way it's filmed it's a total mind trip. It starts at the end, cuts to the beggining, then goes back and forth going foward and backwards until both timelines meet in the middle. The foward is the black and white, the backwards (the action) is in color. It's great, cool twist at the end. You'll have to concentrate when you watch it the first time, because it's extremely hard to follow at first.
Rating:
Summary: Buy the special edition of this Cult hit...
Review: Memento has been a cult smash ever since folks had a chance to see it. It didn't do well in the theatres because nobody knew how to market it (the trailer is truly awful), but it has done excellently on video due to wonderful word of mouth.Definitely pay a few bucks extra for the special edition. The main disc is weak on the extras, and doesn't have a DTS soundtrack (DTS is much better than Dolby 5.1 if you have a DTS-decoding receiver). What is really engaging about this movie are the twist and turns along the way that lead to a very satisfying payoff. The mind-bending going backwards in time bit is an interesting idea, but could easily have been a ponderous disaster in less sure hands than Christopher Nolan's. Each of the 10-minute flashback seens begin and end in exactly the right places. Each new revelation and twist leads logically to the next. The movie's weakest point is that, in the end, you don't like any of the characters. They are all selfish bastards, in a sense. Hey, but that's film noir for you. If you didn't like The Usual Suspects or Reservoir Dogs, you probably won't like this one. I however loved those movies, and found Memento to be endlessly fascinating. I'm just hoping for a Memento prequel. (There's definitely room for a few). Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: My third-favorite Joe Pantoliano movie
Review: Heh. Sorry--couldn't resist (first two are "Midnight Run" and "The Matrix"). Seriously, though, "Memento" has to be one of the most cleverly-constructed thrillers ever made. Watching this movie is like peeling an onion, layer by layer by layer. Each little jump back is packed with revelations about Pearce's character, the identity of "John G.", the little notes on Pearce's polaroids, the tattoos, and the very nature of his quest to find his late wife's killer. As each flashback redounds upon the one that precedes it, one really gets the sense of seeing the protagonist's life run itself in reverse, as if through some chronological mirror, and mirrors are a prominent theme throughout the movie. An unabashed triumph of pacing, plotting, and well-developed characters. See. This. Soon.
Rating:
Summary: best movie I have ever seen
Review: I just rented Menemto last week and I thought it was the best movie I have ever seen. The direction is amazing, the acting is great, the story is awesome, and Guy Pearce is great eye candy
Rating:
Summary: If I could give more than 5 stars I would.
Review: This is probably one of the greatest films in the past ten years, and definatly most original. If you enjoy mystery, crime, or psychological thrillers, this is for you. Now if the film itself wasn't good enough this special edition DVD looks amazing, I plan on buying it the day it comes out.
Rating:
Summary: A Rare Gem
Review: My favorite movies are those that leave me asking myself more questions than I am ready to answer. Dealing with man suffering from the rare Korsokov's syndrome (a memory disorder where one cannot form new memories), this murder thriller explores how fragile the definition of "self" & our being totally human really is. I saw this when it first came out. Blew me away. Bought it on tape when it became available. If you like Hitchcock & movies that make you think,buy it,don't rent it. (I hardly ever by a movie-but I had to have this). The editor got robbed at the Academy Awards. I have never even thought anything about editing ... but the editor here was an absolute genius. I believe I read in a magazine that is was the only movie from the Sundance festival in 2001 that made any money to speak of (I think it grossed $24 million). Not at all bad for an Indy flick. But this IS NOT an "art" flick. If you are not on the edge of your seat then: a) you have already died, b) your idea of fun is summer re-runs, c) you are Sister Clarice who taught me in the first grade or, d) a possible "a" & "c" combined.
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Summary: All of you other reviewers obviously missed something
Review: I'd just like to point out that this is a great movie, however the ENTIRE story isn't backwards. The Black and White scenes are the beginning of the movie played forwards. The Color Scenes are the End of the movie played backwards. The actual end of the film is the middle of the story, kind of confusing, but a very original and cool concept. It really points out what it must be like for Leonard who cannot remember past five minutes or so...
Funny...I don't feel drunk.
Rating:
Summary: Less intelligent viewers, beware...
Review: I really don't get those reviewers which gave this contemporary piece of originality one star, saying the plot is incomprehensable, acting wooden and so on... Those are presumably the same people which didn't get "Usual Suspects" or "Matrix" either. Who cares? It's their loss. I bought this DVD without seeing the movie, which I don't do very often, but when I read that it won at Sundance, that it has "backwards" plot and learned that it didn't earn more than 25 million at the box office (which is actually a lot with this budget, but low enough to know that it's not for the masses), I knew it had to be good. Of course, it may be too smart and confusing for an average viewer, but if you like original work with substance that doesn't provide all the answers for you at once, then this is for you... Plot in two sentences: a man kills another man. Going backwards in intervals of 10-15 minutes we find out why... The thing everybody overlooks is the fact that by going backwards you really get to understand how the main character feels, since he hasn't the capacity of turning short term memories into long term memory... DVD itself is superb. Special Features are loaded. By going through all of them you'll see what lenghts the filmakers went in trying to make the charachters believable and the story to check out... You also can read the original story on which the movie was based on. And finally, there is supossedly a secret function that plays the scenes in chronological order, rather than backwards. Fantastic! Favourite line: "What am I doing here? Oh, I'm chasing this guy..."
Rating:
Summary: Perceptions constantly change in this one-of-a-kind story
Review: Brilliantly directed by Christopher Nolan, who also wrote the screenplay based on a short story by his brother, Jonathan Nolan, this film had to be a huge challenge for all. The word "memento" means "remember" in Latin, and the story is about Leonard, so traumatized by a blow to the head after his wife's rape and murder, that he has lost his short-term memory. He's out for revenge and is looking for the killer, but, although he remembers his life with his wife and who he is, he cannot remember anything that has happened since. He therefore takes Polaroid shots of everyone he meets and writes notes on them. And he also tattoos things he wants to remember all over his body. The role calls out for an exceptional actor and Guy Pearce certainly does rise to the occasion. I found myself drawn to him, identifying with his condition, and joining him in his struggle to relate to the world. The story unfolds backwards, an unusual narrative technique that is tricky to use. We see a scene and think we understand. And then there is another scene that has happened prior to it, and it totally changes our perception of what is going on. Purposely, it is confusing. And purposely, there are moments of clarity where it all fits together only to become even more confusing in the next scene. Carrie Ann Moss plays a femme fatal and, as we get to know her, we are not quite sure what her motives are. Joe Pantolino is cast as in the role of Leonard's buddy, and we are constantly confused as to whether he is friend or foe. I sat there fascinated as this complicated plot unfolded, enjoying the mastery in which the director led me down different avenues of thought and also introduced questions about the moral issues involved. By the end, I was absolutely sure of nothing at all, except that I had been traveling on a roller coaster of an experience that didn't have any easy answers. While I tend to want films to have a beginning, middle and end, and a story line that is easy to follow, this an exception to the rule. I definitely recommend to those who are willing to explore this unique film, which is certainly one of a kind.
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