at best mildly entertaining

Rating: 4/10 (9 May 2002)

When I saw Memento in theatres I left feeling numb. The film did absolutely nothing for me---in fact, I found it intensely awful. Hearing so many positive things about the film and taken by the possibility that it might've been my mood, I decided to revisit it when it appeared on my movie cable channel. I found myself appreciating Mr. Nolan's directing more at home, and Mr. Pearce's performance stood out the second time around. What remained the same, however, was the complete lack of interest I had in the story. It seems Mr. Nolan was so pleased with the gimmick he had that there was little atttention paid to generating suspense and creating involving and/or compelling characters. There were moments at home when I was entertained by the film, but I was never fully interested in it. If I really want to watch a reverse chronology film I'll take "The Betrayal" over this any day. My rating: 2/5
Sidenote: I look forward to Insomnia, however, if only because I know that one will have an interesting story.