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Memento

Memento

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: "Memento" is one of the most intriguing films! i've only heard of this film THIS YEAR!, 2003!, 3 years later! My friend who told me about it said it was "f*?ked up!", and i understand why she says that, but its F-ed up in a good way. I'm not gonna tell you what it's about, because i know i'll spoil it :) so i'll jus tell u what i think and how i felt.

i'm sooooo sick of films that are predictable. Since watching "Identity", "The MAtrix 1,2,3" to name but a few, i've become so into confusing thrillers and films that remained with you for a while and kept you interested. it was very refreshing to see another film like that, but it seperates itself from the pack! This is like none other! It's on a whole new level, just like The Matrix is! i like how the film, makes u, well it made me be a part of the film, and i felt it wanted me to feel how lenny felt-the frustration, confusion, anguish, also the HOW and WHY, did this just happen? backwards style, the film is filmed, which kinda mirrors his condition. Absolute class!

This is one excellent film, but it's not for everyone. If ur a sucker for action-packed, big blockbusters etc, this isn't for you, but if you're willing to see something different, you can't get anymore different! It's so unique-in it's own way- and original. There will never be a film like this again. It's a shame not a lot of people have heard about this film, myself and many of my friends and family being an example! The acting is very good. Guy really does capture his character very well. I couldn't believe this guy used to act in something as sad as NEIGHBOURS!! lol. He has a come a looooong way! Joe and Carrie are also very good!!

P.S It's a "thinking film", so you might need to see it more than once, if you're not used to those kinda films. It is confusing. Don't be put off though, cos there are comprehendable parts! It's just putting the jigsaw together. If u are that sucker, i'll think you'll convert. Confusing films are a lot more fun! lol j/k Have patience! it's bloody worth it!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Seductive Prank-Fu
Review: Don't get this backwards, I really did love this movie (the screenplay, the acting, the filming). It's just I felt a little, um, uncomfortable, each time a scene ratcheted back, and we find the main character in the equivalent position of somebody that's had the ol' shaving cream-and-feather prank done to them while they're sleeping. He is constantly "reawakening" due to his medical condition, and usually it is with figurative egg/pie/shaving cream on his face...he is constantly momentarily confused until he figures out what has just gone on.

He is on a Dirty Harry type of avengement for his wife's rape and murder, but his clothes don't fit right, his car looks like he forgot to buff the wax off, and he's constantly looking for his Life under the couch cushions. Everybody calls him Lenny, which he hates. He gets tricked into doing everything from paying for two hotel rooms to carrying out somebody else's vendetta. Still, you root for the guy, which may make this one huge practical joke on the viewer...you end up feeling at the end of the movie like somebody slipped something in your drink.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: doodman gives memento the finger
Review: Contrary to popular belief, yes you do need to be a rocket scientist to figure out what the heck is going on. In addition, it was a bore unlike the equally confusing Mullhulland Drive.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "How can I heal if I can't feel time?"
Review: It's not uncommon for a film to start at the end of the story, then explain through flashback what led up to that moment. MEMENTO starts at the end, but is anything but common, because it then progresses backward in time. Each 5 to 10 min. segment (shot in color) occurs at a point in time just prior to the one before. Interspersed within this reverse narrative are B&W scenes in chronological order which, if all put together, lead up to the final segment, which is the beginning of the story. How could something that sounds so confusing make a watchable film, you might ask? It's a tribute to screenwriter/director Nolan that he created such a compelling and thought-provoking mystery/thriller from such a framework. It's rare to find an unconventional approach to film making that really works..and this does.

Guy Pierce is excellent in the role of Lenny, a man who has suffered a severe head injury while trying to defend his wife against an attack by burglars. This injury has left him incapable of making new memories; he retains nothing for more than 5 or 10 mins. He can't watch a half hour TV show because by the end, he's forgotten how it started. His condition is not amnesia; he knows who he is and recalls everything about his life before the injury. His brain simply won't retain any new experiences.

Lenny's wife was raped and murdered by her attackers, leaving him devastated and filled with rage. A police investigation turned up a suspect known only as "John G." Of course, Lenny's injury would quickly cause him to forget all of this, so he has his chest tattooed with "John G. raped and murdered my wife". His quest to find and kill the man who ruined his life is what gives him purpose. In order to function, he is constantly taking Polaroids and making notes to refer back to after he's forgotten. The most important clues that he uncovers he has tattooed all over his body. Lenny's mission is complicated by two people with ulterior motives who take advantage of his dysfunction. One is Teddy (Pantoliano), a cop helping him find the killer; the other is Natalie (Moss), a woman he meets along the way who he thinks may be able to help him.

Christopher Nolan adapted the screenplay (which was nominated for an Oscar) from a short story by his brother, Jonathan Nolan. The genius of the script is that it mimics Lenny's handicap in that the viewer doesn't know what preceded the current scene, just as Lenny doesn't know because he's forgotten! It raises intriguing questions about the role of memory in our perception of reality. At one point, Lenny is thinking out loud about his predicament. He wonders how many times he's been reminded and forgotten that his wife is gone. Imagine learning that a loved one has died, over and over, each time as if it were the first. "How can I heal if I can't feel time?" How can he trust others that he only knows through scribbled notes on photographs? In a surprise revelation near the end of the film, we find that Lenny can't really "know" anything because he can't even trust himself. Because this film is so unconventional and tough to fully absorb in one viewing, some impatient folks will consider it a waste of time. But MEMENTO is extremely well made (Oscar nominated for Best Film Editing) and well worth the effort for anyone who appreciates film as art and is not intimidated by complexity.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: strange movie but a great view
Review: it was strange going backwards all the time in this movie but it was a greay viewing and Pearce did an excellent job at telling his characters problems. not for everyones taste

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Note to self....
Review: Recipe for success in filmaking in the 00's. Write a dyslexic 20 minute short story about a tattoed idiot in a motel room. Shuffle pages, go to Kinkos, make 300 copies, shuffle again, call Tarantino. Rake in the dough.

I give this film credit for trying to be different, but the only thing it succeeds in doing is being a monotonous bore. The votes for this dog are proof positive of the near complete dumbing down of this country...either that or just another example of the "Bandwagon" Syndrome.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Pretty much all the elements of an excellent movie
Review: I've seen this film 8 times. The first time I saw it, the movie ended, and I sat there with my eyes wide open and said "...Woah." I then bought this special edition and watched it 7 more times, including the time I watched it in chronological order. Unfortunately, I had my theory about the movie DOWN after 7 viewings, but then the 8th viewing left me thinking too hard, and I lost my theory. I'm so confused. And that's because it's an intricate, complex, mind-numbing film. This movie is utterly amazing. Just AMAZING. We have a guy named Leonard who wants to avenge his wife's rape and death. Sure, that's pretty good, basic but good. But now we throw in something else. Leonard has "short term memory loss" because of a head injury he received during his wife's assault. This causes our man Leonard to forget everything that happened after the injury after about 15 minutes. If he meets a person and has an hour long conversation with them, the next day he will have completely forgotten that person. Genius. Now, add this final twist: make the film backwards. So, the scene you're watching came after the scene that you're watching next, etc. Masterpiece. This is my favorite movie, and it takes multiple viewings and maybe some cheating (watching it in chronolgical order) to straighten it all up in your mind. The features on the DVD are wonderful. It has the short story which the movie was based on, the movie in chronological order, photographs of props used, film posters, documentaries. The single problem is that the special edition DVD itself is insane. The first disc which contains the movie lists a bunch of words and you have to choose through each one to find the single word that starts the movie. The second disc has you searching through loads of images and questions that would belong in a psychological exam to find the special features. If it weren't for this masterpiece movie, the DVD would have dragged it down to 4 stars. But what can I say? It's just way too good.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This film is amazing!!
Review: The film focuses on a man named Leonard Shelby ( Guy Pierce). He is obsessed with finding his wife's killer. On the night his wife was killed, he gets his head knocked while attempting to save her. This causes him to develop a condition. Leonard can only remember everything that happened up until the night of his wife's murder. He cannot make new memories, and forgets everything five minutes after it happens. This forces him to live a life based on a endless supply of notes, poloroids, and tatoos that he puts all over his body. We are introduced to the two main people in his life - Teddy ( Joe Pantoliano) and Natalie ( Carrie Ann Moss). Both claim to be a friend to him, but things are not as they seem. Both Teddy and Natalie have personal reasons behind wanting to help Leonard. Now Leonard must not only track down his wife's killer and deal with his condition, but he must also determine who's friend, and who's foe.

I am a sucker for a good mystery, and "Memento" is the most original and well executed mystery film that I have ever seen. The story is suspenseful and extremely complex. I love how Christopher Nolan had the film unfold in reverse. You come to feel very frustrated over the course of the film. However, that is also why the story is brilliant. You find yourself starting to feel exactly how Leonard does. This actually involves you in the film personally, and makes you sympathize for Leonard overall. The film's focus keeps switching back and forth between Leonard's search for the killer, and flashbacks into Leonard's prior life as an insurance investigator and his big case with a man named Sammy Jenkis ( Stephen Tobolowsky). I loved this aspect of the film, because Sammy suffers from the same condition as Leonard's. "Memento" is also guaranteed to keep you guessing. The film continually dangles clues in front of you. But since the story is told in reverse, what you are seeing, may not be what it seems! The film could not have succeeded without the performances given from the sctors. Guy Pierce's portrayal of Leonard is one of the best that I have ever seen. It is so realistic, and so convincing, that you come to believe that Guy Pearce actually went through the same thing himself. The fact that he made such a difficult role look so easy, still amazes me to this day. Joe Pantoliano and Carrie Ann Moss are also great. Their performances add to the film's suspense, because you never know what to believe.

Christopher Nolan's "Memento" is amazing. The film has great acting, a nice script, an intense, complex story, and an outstanding ending. The limited edition DVD only adds to the already flawless film. This 2 disc limited edition DVD is great because there are mindbenders and challenges you have to go through to get to the film. That brings the meaning of the word "interactive" to a whole new level! The special features include a Sundance Channel Documentary, the original short story By Jonathan Nolan, and much more.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wonderful movie, confusing DVD
Review: If ever there was a movie that Guy Pearce was destined to play in, Memento is it. Don't get me wrong, L.A. Confidential was superb, but this is just amazing. Guy plays Leonard, a man who remembers nothing other than the fact that his wife was brutally raped and murdered. He is unable to make any new memories, so that leaves him unable to pinpoint exactly who is responsible for this terrible deed that he cannot erase from his mind. Through a series of tattoos and Polaroid snapshots, he tries to piece together some logic to the events that happen to him throughout the course many days, weeks, months or even years for that matter. Leonard has no idea. Shot in black and white and color and told in a reverse-forward manner that will amaze you, Memento has everything going for it. The limited edition DVD is very confusing, and if you purchase it, be warned. It's puzzling, but it certainly fits the movie.

Rating: 5 stars
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.


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