One of Nolan's best

Rating: 10/10 (18 October 2016)

Having been meaning to watch this movie for along time, I finally got round to it. However after I had finished watching it for the first time I felt a great need to watch it again, and so I ended up watching the entire movie two nights in a row. This was for two reasons: firstly, because the narrative of the movie is very confusing and you have to concentrate very hard just to understand what the heck is going on in most of the scenes, so naturally I knew that if I were to watch it again I would be able to follow it and enjoy it much more; and secondly because the movie was just so, so good the first time around I really, really wanted to see it again. I've been a fan of Nolan's films for a long time now (ever since I first saw Batman Begins) and this was almost the last of his movies that I had left to watch. I love his unique style of directing and have greatly enjoyed all of his films - Memento being no exception.
Like Inception or Interstellar, the plot can be hard to follow and it all only makes sense once you have seen and understood the ending. The narrative is especially unique - the movie is told in two different timelines, one in colour, one in black and white. The black and white timeline is chronological (just like any other movie), but the main timeline, the one in colour, is told non- chronologically, in that the audience sees all the events happening backwards, making the audience have to concentrate very hard to follow the story. The film leads towards the collision of the two timelines - where the chronological storyline meets with the non- chronological storyline - in which the climax of the story takes place.
It's a daunting idea for a movie, and can be difficult to follow at times, but Nolan pulls it off delightfully. Like his other movies, the directing and writing (both done by Nolan) are excellent. The way he shoots the movie is very unique and the way it is edited gives it a very distinctive feel. It's an intense movie, and does well to keep the layer of mystery present throughout, as the audience never quite knows what could happen next.
The performances are also a strong point. Guy Pearce, as the lead, portrays his character in a realistic and suitably depressing manner, and I honestly cannot fault his performance. There aren't many supporting characters, and the only ones that get much screen time are Carrie Ann Moss and Joe Pantoliano's characters. Both give good performances and most importantly fit their roles. The casting is impeccable, but ultimately Guy Pearce steals the show.
This is an incredible movie and anyone who is a fan of unique styles and movies is sure to love this as much as I did. It's a movie which I cannot fault, and by far the best movie I've seen in a long time. 10/10 - would undoubtedly recommend.