Rating: 
Summary: Big Disappointment
Review: Nice gimmick, but lousy story. The director is in love with the way he's telling this mediocre story and that sustains the movie for the first thirty minutes, but then tedium sets in. I'm glad he tried so hard to do something different, and that may make the movie worth seeing (ok, it's worth seeing briefly for being unique, but you'll get bored with it pretty quickly so have another movie handy to put in when this one starts putting you to sleep). There is mild fun in trying to piece all the elements together, but once you do there isn't anything interesting going on. People are giving this movie too much credit for telling its story from both the beginning and the end at the same time with an actual ending somewhere in the middle, and aren't giving it enough criticism for being just a simple minded and uninteresting story to begin with.
Rating: 
Summary: Impressive.
Review: To put it precisely as possible, ~Memento~ is a smart film.Taken from a short story written by his brother, Christopher Nolan crafted a screenplay and created a film that absolutely requires his viewers to engage and contemplate the story. No passive viewing allowed in this film. ~Memento~ requires full attention and engagement, otherwise there's no point. The story concerns a poor soul by the name of Leonard Shelby, (Guy Pearce) who has contracted an untenable form of memory loss, due to an extremly violent attack, also leaving his wife dead. The problem with this form of amnesia, is that it is on going: Shelby knows who he is but cannot remember anything else fifteen minutes in the past. He cannot create new memories. Rather than sit in front of the television feeling sorry for himself and watching re-runs of 'Friends', (which, in a way, is another form of amnesia) the man is on an obsessed mission to find his wife's killer. What would you do in the same position? Shelby's trade-off on actual memory is a brilliant system combining hand written notes, photos with relevant captions; and the real important memories, those of the 'etched' variety, he has made into tattoos. When he wakes up in the morning, it's back to his notes, re-orienting himself to why, what and where he is - this is an existential battle of the highest order, a perpetual war to remain in present time. What I find even more frightening: whom could you trust? These are the film's themes taken to the insane edges of possibility. Guy Pearce's performance as the empty headed avenger is nothing less than brilliant. Throughout the film, he continued to repeat a subtle gesture - reaching behind his neck under his jacket and adjusting his shirt. The reason for this quirky mannerism is revealed at the end of the film. I mention this to illustrate Pearce's meticulousness as an actor. According to sources, his research as an actor is impeccable, focusing on the finer details of his character. Which begs the question: why not a nomination for best actor? This performance easily ranks in the top five for 2001-2. I believe the Academy has a similar condition to Leonard Shelby: any film released before June 2001 was forgotten and never got a mention. And that's a shame. The London born director and writer has been dubbed "norish", "meta-noir" and "cerebral". What ever you call Christopher Nolan, the man took a great idea created by his brother and put it on the screen with elegance, charm and intellegence. Impressive. This is a film that should be viewed more than once.
Rating: 
Summary: Stunning, Original, and Freaky.
Review: This is a deep psychological thriller based on the some of the freakiest elements of memories and revenge. I'll tell you right now it's not the kind of movie everyone likes. It's dark, deep, weird, and intellectual! The plot is not easy to understand, but it is thoroughly amazing. And that's all I am going to say...except if you get it hang on for your life; you're in for a thrilling ride! It is one of the best pieces of literature produced in our age.
Rating:
Summary: Great flick
Review: This is a real work of art, in my opinion. All actors do a fine job, the story rocks, and the atmosphere is brilliant.
Rating:
Summary: touching and disturbing, albeit w/ huge plotholes
Review: "memento", although admittedly founded on an idea that makes so sense whatsoever, hits the mark as surrealism and an intriguing cinematic delve into extreme abnormality. the protagonist, leonard, forgets everything every ten minutes.(except that he forgets everything ten minutes. hmm.) able to function only through the use of notes and photographs, leonard is on a fierce quest to find his wife's killer, although it is never clear whether leonard wants to 'avenge' his wife's supposed murder or simply give himself some sense of purpose or meaning within his rather narrow mental horizon. the reviewers who call this movie fake and worthless are mistaken because the logic of it is not what makes it memorable, but rather the mood of disorientation and loss, uncertainty and ephemerality. in one monologue that is truly well delivered by guy pearce, leonard asks himself how he can possibly heal from the horrific tragedy he may have suffered if he cannot even remember the fundamentals of his life or who he really is. when talking to a thoroughly despicable character in a restaurant about his wife's personality, the clips of his memories of her are poignant and heartbreaking, exuding a sense of hopelessness and irretrievable loss that even the most vicious revenge could not pacify. the movie may be a metaphor for the human condition rather than a mere whimsical narrative by a brain damaged character given backwards:the meanings and goals we set in our lives are provisional, abstract, and we actually have no idea if they any 'reality' beyond the parameters of our own minds. as leonard says in a quote that resounds chillingly after the movie ends, we all need to believe the world exists when we close our eyes--perhaps it doesn't.
Rating:
Summary: Thrilling.
Review: "The mind is a terrible thing to waste." However, most of us take our minds for granted every moment of every day. The thought of losing one's mind is quite frightening and is the premise for the movie MEMENTO. In MEMENTO, Guy Pearce (L.A. CONFIDENTIAL) plays Leonard "Lenny" Shely, a man who is trying to track down his wife's killer. However, Leonard has no short term memory. He can remember everything until his wife's murder, but then his mind is a blank. He meets a new person and within five minutes, he forgets. He goes somewhere then forgets where he's at and why he's there. To help himself survive, Leonard takes Polaroid pictures of everything and writes important details on the back. However, the most important pieces of information he gets tatooed on his body. Lenny's tired of living this way, but must keep on until he finds his wife's killer. Pearce's performance catches all the nuances of a man who has literally lost his mind. And Carrie-Anne Moss (Matrix) and Joe Pantoliano pull off superb performances in their major supporting roles. Christopher Nolan's direction is pure genius. The story of MEMENTO is told backwards. At first the idea seems absurd, but it works brilliantly. The audience is given a taste of what Leonard's life is like because they only see the story one segment at a time, never knowing what happened before. It makes for a film full of suspense, energy, and excitement.
Rating:
Summary: First review is sooooo wrong
Review: This is by far the best movie of 2000. It does not use style as a crutch or substitute for substance (ala Moulin Rouge or modern art). It has an engaging plot that brings forth questions of identity and morality, without being overly clinical or intellectual. This film is not just some gimmick, and to dismiss it as such is to ignore the evolving emotions the viewer feels towards the protagonist as this compelling story unfolds. Far more thrilling than Insomnia (though that is good as well). As far as teenage stoner fodder, I think Time's Arrow is a great recommendation. Perhaps it just wasn't snooty enough for Berkley.
Rating:
Summary: had promise but goes pfffttt.
Review: Well, I just saw what everyone was saying should win the Oscar for best picture. I thought it was going that way for the first twenty minutes or so of the film. It sure did keep me wondering and riveted. However, like a lot of movies tackling complex themes and ideas, it had to resort to a trainwreck of an ending...Suddenly, from suspense to psychological, it takes a turn for the philosophical. It's not as bad as Vanilla Sky, but you get the feeling they're in the same new genre--the I-Can-Do-Anything-With-This-Movie-And-Come-Out-Original genre. I had more questions than answers after the movie ended which that explanation just didn't solve. Too bad, I really wanted to like it...go watch Insomnia for real psychological suspense and thrills--no, not the remake from Memento's director, Christopher Nolan, but the original by Erik Skjoldbjaerg. (Now, let's see short term memory deal with that name.)
Rating:
Summary: An instant classic!
Review: The problem with many mysteries and thrillers is the climax is sort of a letdown compared to the rest of the movie. This is not the case with Memento, which has such an unfathomable ending that you'll want to watch it again right away. The film concerns Leonard (a superb Guy Pearce) who suffers from a disoder that leaves him unable to remember any new thing after a few minutes. To help himself remember, Leonard develpos a system using photographs and tatoos. The film is a revolutionary concept. We actually travel backwards with Leonard until the startling conclusion. You see, Leonard is looking to extract revenge on his wife's assailent. A sympathetic friend (Carrie Anne Moss) seems to be helping him. And mysterious guy (Joe Pantolino) seems to know a thing or two as well. Throughout the course of the film, we learn that things are not always as they seem...
Rating: 
Summary: Did you forget how bad this film was?
Review: Tied with Requiem for a Dream as the most over-hyped film in the last five years. To argue whether the plot is convoluted or clever is beside the point--the film never moves beyond its fixation with its lone gimmick. That's why the bulk of the film is so boring--instead of building on the original idea, all we really get to see are the dull repetition and daily logistics of managing your way through reality in reverse. The only moment of interest occurs when Guy Pearce recounts the story of the married couple struggling with the same problem. For about five minutes, the gimmick is imbued with human qualities--struggle, confusion, love, failure, tragedy--you know, the stuff of DRAMA, and the film springs to life. Not to worry, it soon sinks back into who did what when, and hey, did that REALLY happen in the first place--you know, the stuff of teenage stoner conversations. If you really want to see this reverse-time gimmick put into a moving story line, read Martin Amis's Time's Arrow. And if you really want to see a movie thriller about disorientation, see Insomnia with Stellan Skarsgaard. Now that's a fabulous movie.
|
