Rating: 
Summary: An astonishing film
Review: I saw the DVD 3 times over the course of 2 days and each time I saw it, the richness and sheer genius of execution becomes more and more apparent. This is probably one of the most tightly crafted films I've seen in years. The performances, especially from Pearce are nothing short of astonishing. This is ensemble acting at its absolute best with completely flawless direction and razor-sharp script. This is a desert-island film to keep and view periodically.
Rating:
Summary: a brilliant tour de force
Review: Christopher Nolan's mind-bending thriller "Memento" is one of those rare instances in which the form of a movie is designed to match its content. Here is a film all about the nature of short-term memory, which, by its own ingenious structure, challenges the audience to cope with its own mastery of short-term memory. Guy Pearce stars as Leonard Shelby, a man who suffers from a "condition" brought on by a trauma to the head that prevents him from being able to retain any short-term memories (he can remember his life only up to the moment of his wife's rape and murder). To cope with his affliction, Leonard writes himself copious notes, mostly on the backs of polaroids he takes on a regular basis but sometimes on his own body in the form of informational tattoos. To approximate the sense of dislocation of time and place that Leonard feels on a daily basis - as he has to reorient himself to people and events he has recently met and since forgotten - Nolan has chosen to structure his film in a backward progression, so that the first scene ends up being the most recent and the final scene the earliest in time. This technique is not exactly an original one, since the 1983 movie "Betrayal" used roughly the same format in the context of a romantic drama. Still, "Memento" deserves enormous credit not only for trusting its audience to be able to cope with this complex style but for managing to keep most of the plot details well-focused and coherent for most of the film's duration. One of the risks of a film like "Memento" is that it could, if handled badly, easily become a mere exercise in technical "gimmickry." One of the ways that Nolan avoids that trap is by devising a plot that is as gripping as any to be found in a traditionally structured example of film noir. "Memento" is filled with the kinds of narrative twists and turns, surprise revelations and moral ambiguities that form the basis for any good example of the genre. More important, Nolan makes Leonard a compellingly sympathetic character, one whom we come to care for because his plight is so heartrending at its core. Here is a man who not only has to deal with the immense incomprehensibilities of his life but who cannot even benefit from the time factor that helps mourning people come to terms with the loss of a loved one. To Leonard, his wife's death is a perpetual recent event, one from which he can never attain that emotional distance so key to finally overcoming his grief. Special note should be taken of Guy Pearce, who delivers a knockout performance as Leonard, perfectly capturing the determination, frustration and emotional pain that define the character. Carrie-Ann Moss and Joe Pantoliano offer superb support as two perpetual "strangers" who play significant roles in Leonard's strangely dislocated and fragmented life - yet just what those roles are is as much a mystery to us as it is to Leonard. David Julyan's subtle and haunting musical score and Wally Pfister's fine cinematography greatly contribute to the unique quality of the film. Watching "Memento" is like entering a strange, mystical dream. Like Leonard, we feel as if we have suddenly been stripped of that ability to fully make sense out of the chaotic world around us. We feel cut loose from our mental moorings and find ourselves adrift in a world bereft of the rules of chronological reasoning we cling to so desperately for survival. How many movies actually manage to shift our paradigm of perception and make us look anew at the way we observe the world around us? Not many, I can assure you. Christopher Nolan's brilliant and audacious cinematic tour de force reawakens our faith in the medium and those who dare to challenge it.
Rating:
Summary: I have this... condition
Review: I am facinated by this movie. The very fact that the director chose to assemble it in a fashion which is almost HOSTILE to the average viewer (i.e. the general public, which generally seems to want watch something they can predict from beginning to end, the first time they see it...) makes me think that this film should be admired.
I give it ten punk points for sheer nerve.
If you've never seen the film, suffice to say that the first time you watch it, you will most likely be lost much of the time.. but the story unfolds in such a way that you don't really care.
And the second time you see it? Well, if you aren't the type to watch a movie twice, get ready to change that habit at least this once, because you will get more the second time.
The structure, story, and conventions used in telling the story contained in this movie are amazing, frankly. The main character has been rendered incapable of forming new memories, but still remembers his past. The trick is, and this is fiendishly clever... the movie takes place in a series of two to three minute chunks, which is about the amount of time it takes to form a new memory.
what was i saying?
why am i running...?
oh, i'm chasing that guy.
*blam!*
oh, he's chasing me...
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Movie
Review: This movie is artistically one of the best movies ever made. The storyline keeps you guessing till the end, while nothing is as you expect it to be. Guy Pearce is wonderful. This movie should be seen by everyone at least once to see what a real movie should be like; imaginative, suspenseful, and all around good. Christopher Nolan does an excellent job bringing together a complicated story, wonderful acting, and an excellent production team.
Rating:
Summary: unforgetable
Review: guy pearce again does a strong performance thet should have won about 2 or 3 academy awards this movie is about a man who has horrible memory tries to track down the killer of his beautiful wife
Rating: 
Summary: UNIQUE BRAIN TESTER.
Review: Definitely a movie a viewer must watch at least 2 times to remember crucial important clues and relevant names to the plot. Quetin Tarantino style of direction. Time corresponded with main character's memory loss of the tragedy of his wife and himself. The brutal incident that occured in his home caused physical damage to his brain that would affect short term memory, OR DID IT? Sammy Jankis had similar problems with short term memory like Lenny. Leonard, the main character, was an insurance investigator who found that his memory loss was attributed to mental health instead of physical trauma. Leonard was mentally disadvantaged and others tried to take advantage of him for their own personal reasons. Very unique story line and direction. First film I have ever seen that focused on memory as being the most crucial element in uncovering the plot. The viewer will see small clues as the film advances and you will return to those same clues with more information to link the puzzle together. Incidents that occur don't chronologically follow in standard format. The movie begins with the ending. You will see random events that will link all together the further you watch this movie. It will make so much more sense near the end. It is a very compelling film that will keep you watching. It never gets boring. Scenes are very quick and if you turn your head or get up, you will miss vital parts. Pay attention to names. This will help you with association with the main character. Movie is executed very well with dialogue, acting, and time references. This movie can be seen by 10 different intelligent people and you could possibly end up with ten different opinions on it. Don't be surprised. The director wanted to leave it ambiguous for interpretation by the viewer. My philosophy is: The story is about a man who revenges his wife's death, realizing his own guilt, suppressing it with very strong denial. He is physically fine but his mental inner demons will not allow himself to accept the truth. Thereby, short term memory loss helps him cope with his profound loss of a loved one. All the characters seem like liars and it is hard to distinguish who might be telling the truth. Very clever editing and the relapses in time are exact with real time. You must watch the entire movie from front to finish to complete this puzzle. Very intelligent film making and direction with a strong supporting cast. My only complaint is that the film never clears up why and how certain character evolve into the story line. If this part was not so vague and more definite then it would receive 5 stars. Otherwise, a very interesting movie that forces the viewer to use his senses, attention, and problem solving ability. If you are an intelligent movie watcher that wants more than your typical and predictable script, then this is the movie for you. Memento will cause use to question with uncertainty on what you think you saw. This movie is a great discussion piece for philosophy and interpretation.
Rating:
Summary: Modern classic. Reinvents the thriller.
Review: Welcome to Leonard Shelby's life- a world the viewer experiences as Leonard himself does, without memory of why things are happening. It is a story told to us backward, for the wonderful and fiendish effect of reverse suspense, never knowing why the events of the movie are occurring. Motives become muddy; the meanings of every character's actions, including Leonard's, change as the movie progresses. Along the way one can find a psychological study in the slippery nature of memory and reality. This is a first-rate movie and a devilish thriller, complete with a small cast of characters who may or may not be helping Leonard to survive and find his elusive John G to exact revenge for Leonard's wife's death. Highly, highly recommended. As much so as The Usual Suspects or Blood Simple.
Rating:
Summary: amazing intricate movie
Review: What a mesmerizing film! The whole backwards technique works, actually, and to great length. The acting is superb. The direction/cinematography is spectaular. The soundtrack/score is also amazing in a subdued, quiet way. The DVD itself is also pretty nice. It's just a good time looking at the menus. And you do have other things, including a short story, trailers, TV Spots, an interview with the director, etc, etc. What's missing is a director's commentary. Where the heck is that? It's needed for this kind of film. They could of turned a pretty nice DVD into a must-have-for-everyone kind of DVD. It really doesn't matter. The film is the main concern for this DVD, and, as everyone knows, it simply works in it's own way. A mammoth of a film, "Memento" deserves some recognition when the award season comes around.
Rating:
Summary: Redefines cinematic language. Superbly conceived.
Review: Formalistic experiments in film can be a hit-or-miss affair. Most filmmakers playing with form -- in narrative or visual presentation -- find it difficult to marry the experiments they want to conduct with a compelling story. Memento writer/director Christopher Nolan flies out from among his competition by finding a story which by nature demands an unconventional narrative approach, making Memento the four-aces masterpiece it is. The amazing thing is that Nolan makes you hang on to a story in which you find out the ultimate outcome of the plot in the very beginning. Memento, however, makes you care about *how* something happened, the cause of the effects, and somehow manages to generate suspense even though you're watching events unfold backwards. An astonishing writing feat. The actors do a terrific job -- Guy Pearce wisely holds himself back and delivers a low-key, simmering performance and a deadpan voice-over job that are instantly winning; Carrie-Anne Moss continues to make smart choices in edgy roles, not content to milk her sex-symbol status; Joe Pantoliano's smarmy charisma comes through yet again as he chomps lines with gusto, coming out with some of the funniest moments in the film. Nolan mines the central conceit of a character with no short-term memory for fresh comedic moments, and this also helps keep your attention even if you might sometimes get lost in its complicated plot. And of course, the bounty of story twists and revelations make this movie a terrific rewatch experience. One of the best films of 2001, and certainly the most original.
Rating:
Summary: Rivetting, really.
Review: Memento definitely performs in terms of keeping an intelligent and expectful viewer entertained and wondering what's next. The acting is magnificent with the exception of Joe Pantolino who plays the greasy mugging role as usual. The direction is great and Guy Pearce really captures the character without playing over the top at all. Lovely and understated. The problems I do find with the film are the black and white sequences which although very captivating, are not clarified for the viewer distinctly in terms of when in time they happen. Another problem I have is the resolution for us...so, did he do her with the needle or did he commit the heinous acts he thought he saw John G commit??? This is totally unclear because the Teddy character suggests both that his wife had diabetes...but he also said that Shelby had killed the real John G and gave proof with the photos. Is this some huge glitch the director didn't bother working out because he felt the audience would just think..."oooooh...he did imagined it" and just forget the details? I don't like working for a film attention-wise and getting peanuts in return. As for how could he remember his condition...something several people keep asking...Um...did you notice that "Remember Sammy Jankis" tattoo on his hand? I think that's what it was for. Either way...the entertainment was 4 stars...but if the director really did screw it up the way I think he did...he deserves to give me my money back for being such an untalented dolt. Feedback please.
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