A very tight, intelligent movie

Rating: 9/10 (5 July 2001)

I haven't seen a movie that pleased me as much as this one since "The Usual Suspects". The story is engaging and the presentation masterful. The reverse-sequence story order is used to terrific effect, forcing the viewer into the same mindset as our anti-hero Leonard... "How did I get here? I don't know...." It's great to see a somewhat tired cinematic effect actually used to bolster the meaning and feeling of the film rather than just to be "artsy."
Don't bother with the film if you're not prepared to concentrate, this is a film that doesn't assume all film-goers are morons. Your effort will be rewarded with a story that leaves you thinking for days about the relativity of truth, what actually defines a "fact", and the power of the human mind to create it's own reality.
On the downside, I found a bit of the dialogue hoaky. Also, after reflecting for a while about Leonard, I decided that I don't think a person in his situation would really have the ability to accomplish as much as he does, but these are just a very minor dents in a terrific film.