Memento

Rating:
Summary: best film since fight club
Review: ... what can I say ... this was an excellent movie, in my head the best since fight club. :) see it!

Rating:
Summary: "Rear Window"-calibre filmmaking
Review: The story of vengeance is probably older than time itself. "Memento" builds itself upon one such tried-and-proved tale of retribution. The only difference is that instead of telling the story in an archetypical revenge tale structure, it is told through an inventive and effective cinematic approach. The way director Christopher Nolan conducts his film calls to mind the cinematic great Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 masterpiece, "Rear Window". In both films, the audience is trapped, along with the protagonist, in a restricted and constrained environment. In the case of "Rear Window", the protagonist is physically trapped; and in the case of "Memento", the protagonist is mentally handicapped. Because of the directors' skillful manipulations, the audiences in both films are able to experience exactly the same frustration, fear, and other mental processes as the protagonists. Another thing that I especially like about "Memento" is its intentional ambiguity. At the end of the film, additional confusion is deliberately added to an already hard-to-follow reverse-chronological plotline. One might suspect perhaps Leonard did, indeed, confused his own story with that of Sammy's. This brilliant touch highlights the unreliability of memories, which is, more or less, what the movie is all about: memories are often tainted by the seven sins, and facts are independent of what is, and isn't, encoded in one's memory. As well, the ambiguous ending gives the film an almost Lynchian hue, which makes this interesting film even more thought provoking.

Rating:
Summary: Stupid With No Plot
Review: Too, too bad! Guy Pearce did terrible. He finds out his life? Come on! You can do better than that!

Rating:
Summary: Watch It, Then Watch It Again...It's That Good
Review: I am amazed at how many people do not know about this film. Leonard has a "condition." His wife was raped and killed sometime ago. He can only remember events up to that incident. He can remember some short term events, but only for a few minutes; he can't make new memories. How in the world is he going to find his wife's killer and bring him to justice with this condition? 'Memento' is a rarity: it's a great action film, a suspense film, and a mystery. But that's not all: the characters are interesting, the acting is excellent, and the movie makes you think. And think. And think some more. The film is so good I watched it twice and will probably watch it again. Like probably a lot of other viewers, I found myself thinking, "What if this happened to me?" The film entertains and causes you to examine and evaluate your own memory. The film also contains the best last line of the year. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Maybe a different kind of review...
Review: I've been flipping through the one-star reviews for this movie (more than I would have expected) and there are a few themes which are repeated in these viewers' complaints:
- There was a predominant artsy-fartsy, pseudo-intellectual air about the film.
- "I couldn't follow it!"
- The ending stunk.
- We don't really find out what we want to find out (i.e. that the main character is an unblemished hero).

Here's my response to these thoughts, because I would hope that these poor reviews won't deter people from experiencing this movie:

Yes, there's probably a artsy sort of pseudo-intellectual thing going on here. That comes from the pseudo-intellectuals themselves, however, so they can choose how to view it if they like, and you can do your own thing. If there's one thing you should pick up from this movie, it's the idea of perception being reality, so if you get yourself caught up in the artsy-fartsy intellectualism, you'll probably concede your chances of enjoying the movie. It's a movie, not a textbook... enjoy it, don't take it too seriously.

If you can't follow the plot... I can't help you there. You might want to consult your doctor about a possible ADD affliction, though.

If you had a problem with the ending, well, you're not alone. I loved this movie, but when I watched it the first time I was pretty disappointed with the ending. I guess it comes from our "big Hollywood film" conditioning- there's always gotta be something at the end. I contend, as everyone else does, that this film defies convention. I, however, believe it defies convention in other ways aside from the obvious "back-to-front" presentation. We're slapped with an ending which is neither tragic nor joyous. It's just kind of there. What you make of it is up to you. If you choose to take the 21st century prepackaged hyper-caffeinated approach, then you may find the ending to be completely lacking any substance. On the other hand, if you keep your mind open (and it should be WIDE open after 90 minutes of this brain-twister) you might find something else. I won't tell you what to find; if I did, I'd be one of the same pretentious, self-appointed intellectuals that draw the ire of a typical average Joe moviegoer.

Finally, what I enjoy most about this movie is the character development. I read a complaint that we never get a grasp of who each character truly is. I think that's true, but I think that's what makes it great. There can be poor character development which makes us wonder who is who and renders us unable to discern between good and evil, and then there can be brilliant character development which aims to erase the fast food mentality of black and white, prepackaged archetypes and the like. I'm not sure anything in this movie is necessarily brilliant, but I do enjoy the fact that we DON'T know the characters and their integrity. What we're left with is an introspective on truth in relation to perception. We're also reminded that guaging human morality is a fudgy proposition- we know what we're supposed to do, but even the best of us aren't always inclined to do so. Each of the three characters who are the main foci of this movie are difficult to read- are they friend or enemy? Are they rife with malicious intent, or are they ordinary people put in extroardinary situations in which they must conduct themselves with less-than-admirable behaviors? It is painful to some viewers that they can not differentiate between hero and villain, and that may be why this movie is not for everyone. Whatever the case may be, you are cheating yourself if you don't give this movie a fair shake. It is a tremendous movie which will surprise and shock you as well as make you think.

Of course, I could just be full of it too.

Rating:
Summary: WHAT A WASTE OF TIME!!!
Review: "Stunning", "intelligent".. Há! This is some of the worst movie ever made. No', I'm not dumb, I understand the plot completely. But what's the point in shooting this history this way? By the way, there is no history at all. By the end of the movie, I no longer cared about Guy Pearce's character search for his "JOHN G." THis movies is a swindle, like "THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT".

Rating:
Summary: GREAT !
Review: This is a must have movie.
This movie is just great, awesome, the best in a long time!...

Rating:
Summary: Best movie I have seen this year.
Review: This is the best movie I have seen this year.... and last year for that matter.
If you like movies that make your brain spin even after leaving the theater, then this movie is for you.

Rating:
Summary: Incredible in every way!
Review: First off, this is probably the best movie I have seen in years. This movie will pull you in from the start, mystify you for 113 minutes, and will leave you stunned at the end. This is not your typical revenge movie, because both the story and the storytelling are very original. The reason being that this story is told backwards. You watch the scenes of the film in their reverse chronological order, which leaves you wondering not "what happens next," but rather "what just happened?"

Leonard (Pearce) is on a personal mission to discover the identity of the man who murdered his wife. But to complicate matters, Leonard has a rare memory condition which he recieved the night his wife was killed. He no longer has any short-term memory. He can rememeber who he is, and everything that happened before his memory condition started, but he can't form new memories. He relies on notes and photographs to continually remind himslef what he is doing, who his friends are, and where he has been.

The story is told in reverse order so the viewer can sympathize with his condition. Leonard doesn't know where he just was, or what he just did; so this way the viewer doesn't know either. The suspenseful drama that unfolds is like no other you have ever seen. It is a unique story in that you know how it ends, but you watch to find out how it began. With every passing scene you go a little further back in Leonard's life, learning what he no longer remembers, until you finally reach a shocking finale (beginning?) that will make you want to watch it again on the spot.

This is one of those movies about which you will discover something new each time you watch. The discussions you will have with your friends after seeing it will never get boring. I watched this movie 4 times during the first week that I owned it, and then let someone borrow it. Every day, I called that person almost begging him to return it so I could watch it again. There isn't much on the DVD by way of extras, but ragardless I highly recommend that you BUY (not rent) this movie. It leaves a very lasting impression. Unlike Leonard, once you've seen this movie, you will never forget it.

Rating:
Summary: Lived up to the Hype!!!
Review: As far as I concerned. At first, after reading about how the story goes in reverse chronological order I wasn't sure I'd like it, and believe me I'm no intellectual geek. However, I watched it as something different, unique, and because of that approach I was able to see why this movie has gotten the raves it has. It IS refreshing. The plot of a man who can't make new memories but is looking for his wife's killer may sound gimmicky but it worked in this movie. That's because the acting was so good, and the way the screenplay was written made the story easy to follow. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by how excellent this movie is, I would recommend it.