Memorable for its audacity

Rating: 8/10 (9 March 2014)

Back in 2000, Christopher Nolan's name meant little to the average moviegoer. Long before blockbusters like "The Dark Knight" and "Inception", Nolan made his first big splash with an independent feature by the name of "Memento". Its inventive storytelling techniques breathed new life into the mystery genre, particularly the tired trope of a character suffering from amnesia.
In Nolan's film, the protagonist, Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce), is sort of an amnesiac in reverse. Injured while preventing a robbery that left his wife dead, Leonard's short-term memory has been seriously impaired but his long-term memory is intact. Intent on revenge, he must deal with this considerable handicap while hunting down his wife's murderer.
The twist on the oft-used amnesia theme is only the beginning of the film's inventiveness, though. The narrative structure audaciously puts the viewer in the shoes of the protagonist by alternating between scenes proceeding both backward and forward in time. The forward-progressing scenes are mostly expository in nature while the backward-progressing scenes are more plot-oriented. The trick is that as the plot unfolds (in reverse) we're no more aware of the preceding events than the protagonist. While somewhat disorienting at first (which is partly the point), before long piecing together the mystery becomes second nature.
The cast is uniformly capable but I don't know if I'd necessarily single anyone out. Guy Pearce perhaps deserves the most credit for convincingly playing Leonard, which is easily the most challenging part in the picture.
As far as the film's technical aspects go, I feel that they are also ably handled but not truly exceptional on their own. I find it unsurprising that the film's two Oscar nominations came for editing and original screenplay since these are the two elements most responsible for the film's uniqueness.
Regardless of the film's perceived strengths, I can say for certain that "Memento" isn't for everyone. You definitely need to pay attention in order to make sense of the plot and, even then, you may find the narrative structure a little too disorienting. Add to that the fact that the ending is subject to interpretation and you have elements that some viewers are liable to regard in an unfavourable light. Thus, those who count on a linear narrative with a pat resolution should avoid this movie at all costs but for anyone else it ought to provide a unique viewing experience. Personally, I think that Nolan and company did a remarkable job of delivering on this ambitious concept, particularly given the low budget.