Groundhog Day revisited

Rating: Null/10 (5 July 2001)

Ingenious construction that plays like a parallel universe version of Groundhog Day. GHD you may recall was the story of a man held prisoner in a world that had no memory, where each day started at zero and where he is the only truly free agent. Memento reverses and internalizes this idea so that it is the main character who has to relive each day anew so that he stands still as the world moves around him. In one he is the focus of change as others are the unchanging scenery while in the other he remains the same as the others develop and transform before our eyes. In GHD the central character learns to use the world to his advantage and his journey ends when he is ready for acceptance (he goes through the seven stages of loss). In memento the world learns to use him to its advantage and his journey continues when he refuses acceptance (the policeman's speech at the end).