love the movie, hate the hype

Rating: 10/10 (29 November 2001)

Every time a very good modern movie comes around, it automatically joins the top-ranked of movies at IMDB. "Memento" is the prime example of this practice, since at the time I'm writing this it's #9 on the list, beating out so many classics it's not even funny. Yes, I really enjoyed this movie...but #9 of all time? I think not. In fact, 30 of the top 100 movies on the IMDB's top 250 list are made 1990 or later. I think that's just ridiculous. Come on, people! Don't you watch the classics?
But indeed, "Memento" may deserve to be in the top 100 more than "Moulin Rouge" or "Toy Story 2." "Memento" is a movie that really takes some thought. I didn't quite grasp the plot the first 1 and 1/2 times I saw it, so I looked on the Internet for some interpretation.
SPOILERS BEGIN
I still don't understand a few things though, a few minor details. Was Natalie really beaten up by Dodd, or did she just lie to Leonard because she wanted Dodd killed? Is Teddy a crooked cop mixed up in drugs, or did he just want an easy way to kill Jimmy the drug dealer?
As for the message in "Memento", I recall reading "To Kill a Mockingbird" waaaaaay back in high school (last year). One of the key messages in that book was, well, that it's a sin to kill a mockingbird. Why? Because mockingbirds are innocent and have no means of defending themselves. Atticus teaches this lesson to Scout to tell her not to exploit the weak and innocent. That is seen later in the book because that is exactly what Bob Ewell is doing to Tom Robinson.
In my opinion, "Memento" has a similar moral. I can't think of a single character who didn't exploit Leonard's weakness somewhere during the movie. Teddy did it. Natalie did it. The hotel guy did it. Even that guy sitting at the bar who spit in his drink did it. And then finally, in the last scene of the movie, Leonard does it to himself. He exploits his own weakness. He lies to himself. Now that is deep.
SPOILERS END
Yes, it's the best movie that's been made in a while, but as they say, they don't make 'em like they used to. You should definitely see this movie if you were considering it, but please don't vote it another 10 or 9. It really doesn't need any more hype.