Don't Believe His Lies... (spoilers & questions)

Rating: 9/10 (28 April 2001)

This movie is the first truly original film that I have seen in a long time. I was intrigued from the opening credits until the very end. This movie does, however, make you think quite a bit. It captures your attention by the way that it puts you practically in Leonard's condition by telling the story backwards. When I saw that someone had been killed in the beginning (or the end of the story, rather), I thought to myself that it was no fun because I already knew who the bad guy was. But that was the exact OPPOSITE of what I came to believe after the next two hours. Although this movie does leave quite a few unanswered questions, this feeling of wonder as the movie ends is almost comforting, because you can make up your own ending to the story and what YOU think actually happened. I recommend that anyone who has seen this movie visit the website at otnemem.com. You will find out even more information to pique your curiosity.

Now for the **SPOILERS**.
I have been thinking about this movie and what happened in it during the past 24 hours and think I understand, but maybe could use a bit of help from anyone else willing to offer it. In my opinion, Leonard and his wife were attacked in their home and Leonard was left with his condition. He tattooed "remember Sammy Jankis" as a reminder to himself to pass of his own situation as someone else's. This is a memory that he always remembered to share with others due to this reminder. The diabetes situation was actually his own and his wife died from an insulin overdose. He set off to find his wife's "murderer" so he could erase guilt of causing her death from the insulin (I'm unsure about if he would even feel guilt because of his condition). I believe that Teddy and Jimmy were in the drug business together and Teddy set Jimmy up to be killed by Leonard. Natalie found out and helped Leonard onto the trail of Teddy (more than he had already helped himself). I'm still a bit fuzzy on the whole Dodd situation.

***Questions: There was one scene in the movie where they showed Sammy in the mental institution, and, maybe it was just me, but for a BRIEF SECOND I could SWEAR that they imposed Leonard sitting in the institute just where Sammy had been sitting. From what it says on the website, Leonard was in a mental institution. Did anyone else see this?
Another thing that I think I saw near the end of the movie... the polariod that Leonard received under the door of the hotel showed him smiling and pointing at a spot on his chest. For a brief second as he was flashing back to thoughts of his wife, she was curled up on his chest and the tattoo "I DID IT" could be seen in that very spot. Did anyone else see THIS?

Bottom line: Great movie, very original, and way intriguing. 9/10