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Memento 10 out of 10
Running time: 1:53 MPAA rating: R (Violence, language and some drug content.) Peruvian rating: Mayores de 18
Cast:
Guy Pearce,
Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Stephen Tobolowsky, Harriet Sansom
Harris, Callum Keith Rennie, Jorja Fox. |
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Memento surprised me. Ever since I saw so it in such a high position on the Internet Movie Database’s “Top 100” list, I’d wanted to see it, but I wasn’t able to do so until early this year. The moment the end credits started to roll, I knew I had seen an amazing motion picture. The way it’s structured is innovative and effective; the performances are spot-on, the direction is stylish and professional, and the film as a whole is immensely satisfying. Additionally, it’s also “replayable”, meaning that, no matter how many times you watch it, there’s always gonna be something new to discover.
Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) is an insurance investigator who has his memory damaged after he tries to stop a guy to kill his wife. Because of this, his quality of life has been affected, making him obliged to remember things by taking photographs to people and places or tattooing notes on himself. He’s now trying to find the man who killed his wife, and as he does he’s helped (or maybe sidetracked) by Teddy (Joe Pantoliano), who seems to enjoy giving him advice. He also gets involved with Natalie (Carrie-Ann Moss), a woman of mysterious characters and whose motives are not exactly clear when the audience first meets her.
The film is virtually perfect. The leader performers, led by Guy Pearce, are spot-on, giving us amazing and compelling performances. Pearce is emotional and convincing; many scenes work because of him, and his acting is one of the tightest and credible ones I’ve ever seen. The supporting characters are played by a believable Carrie-Ann Moss, and character actor Joe Pantoliano, who makes his Teddy somehow mysterious, and doesn’t let the viewers know about his intentions until late in the proceedings.
The way Christopher Nolan (Insomnia, Batman Begins) has chosen to present the film is both original and effective: everything is shown backwards. The film’s divided in short segments, and a second storyline is also introduced to make things a little bit clearer. Some people might think this approach could be kind of confusing and it can be, but once the viewer has gotten used to the movie and is enthralled and submerged in it, it doesn’t matter. After a few minutes, one comes to admire the way the film is constructed.
Some people might know that, although I kind-of like The Sixth Sense, I didn’t find the twist at the end of that movie surprising. Unlike M. Night Shyamalan’s film, the real truth about many of the characters and situations in Memento is not revealed until the very end, and the viewer never comes to suspect anything until the final resolution. The film is full of logical revelations, which may surprise more than one, instead of making the viewer feel cheated. Additionally, although the final resolution is pretty revealing and answers many questions that were brought up during the course of the film, many other aspects are left without a definite answer. There are many ways of interpreting Memento, and that’s one of the reasons why it’s so enjoyable to watch over and over again.
Even though I knew Memento was a very good movie, I wasn’t expecting a masterpiece. There’s virtually nothing wrong with the film and, although some people might find its somehow confusing and unusual nature bothersome, I thought it was applied perfectly. The performances are amazing, the screenplay is intelligent and original, the direction is spot-on, and the film as a whole is surprising. For those who actually like to think while watching films, this one’s perfect. Sometimes, perfectly-packaged resolutions aren’t always the best way to end movies.
©2007 Sebastián Zavala - GG site