A puzzlebox without a catharsis

Rating: Null/10 (1 October 2001)

Is it a good movie? Yes. Is it a "must watch" movie? Yes. Will you enjoy it? Maybe.
This is typical of four-star movies: it's good, it's clever, it's insightful, but it isn't necessarily fun. It's better than most movies that are given such high ratings: it isn't snobby, it isn't a morality play, and it is reasonably fun to put the story together.

POSITIVES:
The presentation of the story is quite clever, though not unprecedented. The main character's predicament becomes the viewer's. There is no catharsis, however, and that will leave many viewers cold. It can be argued that the point of the movie is to BE the puzzlebox, and to enable the viewer to identify with the main character, and this is where the 9 and 10 scores come in. If you don't expect a cathartic ending, or find catharsis a bit too predictable, you'll probably be raving about this movie yourself.

NEGATIVES:
While it remains logically consistent, it plays coy with the facts to an extreme degree. Its main flaw is that it lacks a clear, conventional resolution. To get the most out of it, you'll need to watch it several times, and if you have the DVD or access to the internet, read through the haphazard clues left out of the movie itself. Some people will find this very annoying, while others will be utterly delighted.

CONCLUSIONS:
For what it purports to be, Memento is an excellent movie. Don't expect to be spoonfed the plot at any point, and you won't be disappointed.