SPOILER! Tips on What Happened, What to Look For, And Why.

Rating: 10/10 (15 June 2001)

I agree with the critics. Memento is one of the GREATEST movies ever made. The themes are deep, especially those pertaining to the nature of memory (e.g., remembering or blocking out what you want or NEED to) and the huge significance memory plays in our lives. The experience of watching the movie gives you some sense of what it is like to live with CFS or some form of dementia. That is the brilliance of the "gimmick" that works so effectively. The screenplay and acting are superb. There are very few movies I have thoroughly enjoyed on the 12th viewing -- and I'm ready to go back again. I figured out what really happened (for sure) only after the 4th viewing (which was later confirmed by reading the screenplay). There is a HUGE amount of detail in the movie (the dialogue, the voice-overs, the police reports, the flash backs, etc.) just as there is in real life. For example, watch very carefully the end of the flashback of Sammy in the mental ward and for less than a second you will see another face take the place of Sammy's... Some important facts, but there are far, far more: Leonard's wife survived the attack and DID have diabetes. Note Leonard continues to alter his memory to suit his needs (e.g., re "his" clothing and car) after the incident (attack and blow to his head). On first or second watching it does seem that "its all up for interpretation" but this is NOT really true. Watch and listen more closely and the plot and the themes become clear. Natalie (Carrie Ann Moss) does use Lenny to kill Teddy because she figures out that Teddy set up her boyfriend Jimmy. Lenny is used by Teddy to make money from Natalie's boyfriend Jimmy and to get a drug dealer off the streets. (Also note Teddy has sincere feelings for Lenny. He could have taken far greater advantage of Lenny. For a laugh, note how often Teddy tries to "borrow" the Jag to get the $$$. Teddy could have just stolen the money out of the trunk or taken it at gunpoint.) Lenny is a tool for Natalie to avenge her boyfriend, and Dodd is not a major character, but Dodd's threat is real and he plays a critical (and hilarious) role in revealing the extent of Lenny's handicap. My favorite part is when Lenny knowingly uses himself (the limits of his memory) to perpetuate his quest for revenge (his only remaining purpose in life) by deliberately lying to himself about Teddy near the end of the movie (and the middle of the timeline, when black-and-white switches to color in the same scene). Obviously I agree this movie is worth the effort and am frustrated with those too lazy to appreciate it or too impulsive to understand it. "Your brain is a muscle, use it or lose it."