I know of people who did it like that and still loved it. However, all the people that did that whom I know already loved it from watching it the first time and their opinion was already made up about the movie. Remember, the first time is the most important watching.
__________________
Greg Oden: The future of the Blazers. The future of the NBA.
But "Memento" wasn't even reverse chronology. It was present, past, future..then present again, and then "what if". The movie lost itself a couple of times. I think it was too ambitious to begin with, throwing out a guy who had short term memory loss, on top of putting the beginning at the end, then offering the same beginning in the actual end, with a different twist.
Well, being a massive Memento fan, I hugely disagree with some of the ideas presented here. The backwards chronology is essential for understanding the main character's reasons and is also essential for the dramatic presentation of the characters within.
Forward, it's just another story. I do actually find it extraordinary that anyone could say it works just as well forwards.
Gimmick it is not.
__________________
"We've got maybe seconds before Darth Rosenberg grinds everybody into Jawa burgers and not one of you buds has the midi-chlorians to stop her!"
"You've never had any TINY bit of sex, have you?"
BtVS
Last edited by Ushgarak on Dec 4th, 2005 at 10:43 PM
I agree. Watching it in chronological order certainly works, but you lose the sense of disorientation which is essential to understanding the character's motivation. It's feels 'busy' and confusing because that's what it feels like for the character.
I'd also like to add. That If shown in Chronological order, I would have almost immediately lost interest. Some scenes require reverse order, because the fun of the film is seeing what happens for what reason. For example: When Natalie gets out of the car, and says she was beat, we want to know why. But afterwords, we see that that wasn't true and she didn't give Leonard the chance to write it down. But as far as leanord knows, She did get beat. It shows the resolution and then the problem being fixed because that's all that Leonard's character knows. Christopher Nolan's goal was to see things the way Leonard did, and as far as I can see he succeeded
Meanwhile, the film is also a mystery as to why he shot his friend at the 'start'- because it very soon becomes apparent that this was probably a mistake. The twist is that it is not a mistake, he did it on purpose; this revelation of course must be at the end of the film.
__________________
"We've got maybe seconds before Darth Rosenberg grinds everybody into Jawa burgers and not one of you buds has the midi-chlorians to stop her!"
Well, I couldn't judge these films accurately, considering I haven't seen the Machinist. I can say this, however: I saw Memento once and that was enough for me. I didn't enjoy this movie or find it that intriguing, for mostly the reasons Cine mentioned above. I'm not necessarily saying it's a bad movie, but I just never understood why everyone liked it so much. I did enjoy Fight Club, however. It's a great movie.
No, it just started and ended at the same location, not the same time. The beginning was the present where he shot Joe Pantoliano. The ending was the past where he got mad at Joe and made him his new John G.
__________________
Greg Oden: The future of the Blazers. The future of the NBA.
I was actually unimpressed by the Machinist- of course the end brought it all together but for me, it was just too little too late-I had slightly lost interest somewhere in the middle of the movie
Well, it's been nearly 2 years and I've finally got around to seeing The Machinist.
Needless to say, I thought it was great. I'm a huge Bale fan, and seeing him lose that much weight for the role was just amazing. That's devotion, right there.
Wow this is an old thread. I haven't posted on it yet so here it goes....
1. Fight Club
2. Memento
3. The Machinist
Fight Club and Memento are very close but I think I have to go with Fight Club as the first rank for the fun factor of it.
I've watched the movie in chronological order and didn't find it nearly as effective. It made more sense, but that wasn't the point of the movie. We were supposed to be just as confused as Leonard was. He finds himself sitting on a toilet in a bathroom with a bottle in his hand. The audience, along with Leonard, are wondering why. Then we find out in the next scene.
Also, the twist is at the beginning (Teddy becoming Leonard's next John G.) so the beginning made for a better ending.
Anyway, I liked The Machinist too, but not as much as the above movies.
apparently, when bale had to lose all the weight, he just drank whiskey and smoked cigarettes for like two weeks. no solids. i believe he was hospitalized.
i thought fight club was the most accessible of the 3 and as a piece of entertainment it is better...Bale's performance and what he did to achieve his appearance in the machinist is definitely up there with Deniro in raging bull but the film lacked punch although i thought the use of an obvious twist to disguise a less obvious one was well carried out.
memento is something i just have never thought was a great film...i think that both 21 grams and irreversible both worked the changed chronology to a more effective finish
I haven't seen The Machinist yet. Of Memento and Fight Club I'd have to say Fight Club is easily the better experience. Memento was a fun, intelligent movie. Fight Club was a socially and culturally twisted movie that has actually changed the perspectives and lives of lots of people.
__________________ "I feel lethal, on the verge of frenzy."
Fight Club and Memento are very close.. I think Fight Club might just shade it.. but it is very close.. watched Memento today in uni come to mention it..
memento is undoubtedly a "better movie" than fight club, regardless of people's preferences. no slight on fight club (as a viewer, i think i prefer it), but memento is practically flawless.
frankly, machinist isn't even in the same league, though it's quite good.
KMC Community Forums
Dec 4th, 2005 02:42 AM
