Critique: Film> Reviews.

"My wife deserves revenge, whether or not I can remember it."

-- Leonard (Guy Pearce)

It's ironic that a film concerned with short-term memory loss can make you think so much. British Writer-Director Christopher Nolan has created an incredibly engaging tale of one man's amnesia -- how he struggles to remember anything other than the night his wife was murdered. Plotting revenge, he takes photographs and makes notes throughout his personal investigation in an attempt to determine who his friends are and who's really against him uncovering the truth. The plot is simple, but Nolan depicts the human mind as fragmented and tells the story in such a way that we always anticipate what is going to happen next (even if he does give us the ending first). It's a brilliantly crafted film.

The lead character, Leonard, is played by Guy Peace. Another method he uses to investigate the truth is tattooing various clues onto his body. Even if he forgets, the facts are embedded permanently within his skin for him to look at; the logic is there in black ink so that he has motive for his next move.

Or is it? Along with the photographs and notes, is it a system that works for him? Does he eventually end up tracking down the person responsible for killing his wife? Considering that Leonard is mentally unable to retain any new information, the fascinating part of the film is that you never truly know.

Memento keeps you guessing. As well as all the uncertainty within Leonard's mind, the audience interprets a sense of mystery surrounding the supporting characters. Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss, The Matrix) is a seductive waitress, whose emotions range from one extreme to the next; while Teddy (Joe Pantoliano, also from The Matrix) is the ultimate sleazeball, who you wouldn't trust helping your own Grandmother across the street.

The point of the film is that people and the human mind can generally be unreliable. Memento presents so many twists that it sometimes becomes difficult to determine what the hell is going on. It's deliberately confusing, but not to the extent that it alienates the viewer. Really, it's the exact opposite: This is a film that will grab you, challenge you, and leave you contemplating its effect for a number of days, as you attempt to come up with some logical conclusion for yourself. If only one film in your collection warranted a second viewing, then it would have to be this.

It's hard to do justice to such a film with just words. The best bet is to just watch it and discover its incredible detail for yourself. Memento deserves everyone's attention.

(C) Andy Carrington, 2009.