Forget the hyped sequel with brains but without any real brain - Memento is the thriller you should see!

Rating: 9/10 (24 April 2001)

Memento is one of the best debuts that I'm aware of, and a remarkable achievement for a relatively low-budget film. Once again, in a film industry that too often forgets that only hype doesn't make a good movie, it's nice to see that some director has the courage to try something different, something that might not make a huge commercial success but will feel fresh when the big names will feel tiresome and dated.
The technique of starting the movie near the end, then flashing back, then back again was recently used in Fight Club, but Memento takes it to a whole new level. Although the film does remind of Fincher's violent satire at times, including for the use of a visual twist, it is clearly no clone. Where Fight Club is psycho-political bite, Memento is full paranoia through an extremely complicated yet gripping storyline that requires tremendous attention to the details. I won't give much of the plot away; it suffice to say that the movie explores the psychological sphere of a man looking for someone who did wrong to his family. Only problem, he suffered major damage in the event and can't make any new memories. How can he find who's looking for? Can he trust the people around him? And can he really trust his own data? Not only Memento will surprise you, confuse you, and even make you smile, but will raise questions about the true nature of our mind, about time, and about how we judge people.
In a year that saw Russell Crowe's name in every magazine, Guy Pearce proves he's definitely worth the same attention. His strong performance puts him in the league of young, talented actors with an already incredible career... Benicio Del Toro, Edward Norton, Guy Pearce...
So far I've seen the movie only once but I won't forget to see again!