Memento is a unique mystery thriller.

Rating: 9/10 (17 November 2014)

Memento tells the story of a widower-Leonard (played by Guy Pierce) on a mission to find the (second) man responsible for raping and killing his wife. During the attack Leonard was brutally beaten which resulted in anterograde amnesia, a rare condition which prevents his brain from storing recent memories (short term memory loss). Leonard is able to piece together the details of his attack and journey by snapping polaroid's, writing himself notes, and tattooing important facts on his body, the most significant being "John G. raped and murdered my wife." As you can imagine this is perfect for paranoia, suspicion, uncertainty, confusion, and betrayal. And that's exactly what you get in extreme doses.
The sequence of this film is backwards. The opening scene is the climatic ending. Somehow Nolan was able to pull this off without spoiling or revealing one pertinent detail. Then it proceeds in two convergent narrative lines one from the present (backwards) and the other from the past (forward), untangling itself in brief snippets mirroring the forgetful condition of the tortured lead character. The audience, like Leonard, learns in fragments what's going on. Perfect for those who love to second guess what's going to happen, who's doing what and why.
Memento is a unique mystery thriller. The climax of the movie takes you off guard and you keep on thinking about the movie for days. You have to watch it at least twice to understand each and every scene and dialogue. The movie has a great concept, and an excitingly thorough storyline. If you like to sit back and relax, this film is a waste of time. It requires you to follow along, participate and fit puzzle pieces together. Memento doesn't provide any easy or obvious answers. A must see if you are looking for something clever and original.