"I CAN'T REMEMBER" a better thriller...

Rating: 10/10 (9 December 2006)

Movie Title:Memento
Director:Christopher Nolan
Main Cast:Guy Pearce,Carrie-Anne Moss,Joe Pantoliano
My Rating:9.5/10
Tagline:Some memories are best forgotten
Why am I writing these since they are just a few spaces upper:Haven't Figured Yet...
....Now,sincerely,this movie is what I truly call a masterpiece.
Unpredictable,from the beginning to the end(or from the end to the beginning),Memento is one of those rare movies that consume almost 100% of the spectator's mind attention,without becoming boring and repetitive.
The plot idea was and still is totally original and(almost) unique even today,7 years after its release.
There are almost no plot holes in this movie.Those few that exist are the classic holes that every movie has,the ones that distinguish the movie from reality,so they can be accepted.
What,in my opinion,makes this movie so brilliant though,is the spectator's identification with the character.
Sure,in every movie the spectator identificates himself(or herself) with the character more or less,but it never reaches this level...
By showing us the story backwards,Cristopher Nolan managed to partially transmit us the exact feeling that Leonard has every time he wakes up.
That feeling of being somewhere without knowing where you are or how you got there.
That feeling of communicating with people,without never being sure of how much you can trust them.
Who is the Killer?
Is he among the people I know?
Will I ever find him,since I have a memory problem?
What will happen after I find him?
Who can I really trust?
Everybody?
Or perhaps Nobody,not even myself...
...are some of the questions that turn around Leonard's mind and,of course,our.
People who haven't seen it be warned:This is not a movie for everyone. In fact I would almost advise you to watch it by yourself or with a very die-hard movie fan friend. Just a little conversation with your friend or girlfriend can totally derail you from the path of the movie...it's already hard enough to totally understand in 1 round...I needed 2 to get everything straight.
The 3 main actors(Pearce,Moss,Pantoliano) give,not stellar,but great performances nonetheless...the movie plot surely gives kudos to their performances...
I found Pearce to be the best of the three...his confused voice,his empty from opinion face and,of course,his blocknote-body make Leonard come to life...
Moss,was good also,she has in her face the mystery the role needs...the good girl that is not totally what she seems to be...
Remarkable is the scene where she shouts and curses Leonard,by stating him that she can tell him whatever she likes,since he will not remember anything soon enough,transforming him into a mere puppet...my personal favorite one
Pantoliano,at last,gives the movie what it lacks:the funny element,without becoming a clown,but by showing us at least a smile in the mysterious world of Leonard...
Opponents like The Usual Suspects or Silence of the Lambs are,not easily,but slightly beaten in my opinion...They are great movies too,but to me they lack the so perfect identification Memento offers us...
Nolan has proved to be a genius director and screenwriter,as he continuously show's us in his new movies-he is today my favorite director.He hasn't directed many movies,but those 6 or 7 ones he gave us, are all brilliant and thought provoking...
To Sum Up,Memento is truly Nolan's Masterpiece and a jewel in the Thriller Museum. In the years that will come,from the many,great or not, thrillers that will appear,some will try to reach or steal it's greatness,but to me Memento will always be the highest apple of the tree.
I Will Never Remember a Better Thriller...