Great directing... great acting... good movie.

Rating: 8/10 (31 May 2002)

I wouldn't rate this as the best movie of the year, or even Mr. Nolan's masterpiece to date. I read a review on this board that gave this movie a 10/10, but I just can't go that far. Most of my reluctance to call this such a great movie comes from the fact that Christopher Nolan didn't write it. He is such a talent as a director and a writer, that when they come together it's a beautiful thing. This is a remake of a 1997 movie, so you can only expect so much from it. I knew this going into the movie, but many people didn't, and they expected the excitement level of Memento, where Nolan was able to write in so many twists & turns. This movie just doesn't have that level of involvement, but don't get me wrong... it's a great movie. Al Pacino gave a magnificent performance, as did Robin Williams in an uncommon role. I like seeing him when he isn't the funny guy, so it was what I expected from him. I thought the little audio & visual clues that Nolan drops into the movie ever so subtly is one of the best parts of this film. It isn't so blatantly obvious that when you see the foreshadowing you pick up on it and know it's something you should remember, just not why, and it isn't so hidden that it takes you knowing about it to find it or look out for it. It's one of his many skills as a director that I've noticed in his previous works, and look forward to in his future projects. This movie was done when Memento took off, so I'm hoping for something great to come soon. This movie is well worth the watch, and I'll see it again, but don't go into it expecting it to be Memento 2 or you will leave bored & disappointed.