Memento Review
by Shannon Patrick Sullivan (shannon AT morgan DOT ucs DOT mun DOT ca)August 29th, 2001
MEMENTO (2000) / ****
Directed by Christopher Nolan. Screenplay by Christopher Nolan, from a story by Jonathan Nolan. Starring Guy Pierce, Joe Pantoliano, Carrie-Anne Moss. Running time: 115 minutes. Rated AA for offensive language and violent scenes by the MFCB. Reviewed on August 26th, 2001.
By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN
Synopsis: Leonard Shelby (Pearce) is a former insurance investigator on the trail of the man who killed his wife. Leonard has only a few clues to the murderer's identity; to make matters worse, he suffers from a condition which inhibits the creation of short-term memories, meaning that Leonard is always forgetting what happened just minutes earlier. Because of this, Leonard is forced to rely on notes he leaves for himself. "Memento" traces the investigation back in time from its apparent
culmination.
Review: "Memento" is the sort of movie I wish I'd written; I can think of no higher praise than that. I am envious that Nolan has concocted such a brilliant, involved, original movie as this. An instant film noir classic, "Memento" is virtually flawless. The script is unlike any I have ever seen -- a notable achievement in these days of recycled Hollywood homogeneity. Although the idea of starting at the "conclusion" of the plotline and then moving backward in time to the "start" is not entirely new, never before have I witnessed it executed with such flair and coherence. "Memento" is endlessly exciting and inventive, a rare story which keeps the viewers guessing during the film itself, and mulling over its connotations long after leaving the theatre. And it is not merely an exercise in cerebrality; there is plenty of action and an unexpected dose of humour to keep the proceedings lively. Nolan's direction is equally effective, never losing its crispness and clarity despite "Memento"'s challenging gimmick. And to top everything off, all the performances rise to the occasion. Pierce is terrific as the troubled Leonard; Moss shows great range as enigmatic Natalie; and Pantoliano's Teddy achieves a splendidly affable yet sinister quality. "Memento" may be the year's best screenplay, and is certainly amongst the top theatrical attractions of 2001.
Copyright © 2001 Shannon Patrick Sullivan.
Archived at The Popcorn Gallery,
http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies.html
| Shannon Patrick Sullivan | [email protected] | +---------------------------------+---------------------------------+ / Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time (Travel) go.to/drwho-history \ \__ We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars __/
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
