don't waste your $ or time on this rubish!

Rating: 2/10 (17 April 2001)

Memento is one of the most boring unimaginative films that I have ever seen. the fact that a jury a the stardance film fest gave this the Waldo salt screenwriting award, must have Mr. Salt turning in his grave!
Loss of memory as a plot device.
This is hardly unique and has its origins in a far more compelling film "Mr. Budwing? staring James Garner circa 1965(?). Also Sidney Lumet's "The Morning After" with Jane Fonda and Jeff Bridges also use the same plot device.
The manipulation of time device.
This is also old hat having been used by, dare I say it Orson Wells in Citizen Kane. And more recently, and far more interestingly, Doug Liman's "GO" Steve Soderbergs "The Limey" and ok, Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction."
In Memento the use of a time device is quite tedious after the first go round. The pay - off is not worth the wait "TRUST ME!"
Acting
UG! the performances by all of the principal cast were soulless to say the least. there was no chemistry between any of the characters.
Indeed the only actor who has a soul in this film is on screen far too little Stephen Tobalosky (I know spelling), who turns in a heart wrenching performance that outshines everyone else in the film!
In short the film takes its characters and drags us down into a soulless nihilistic pit of slime that is uninteresting, unhelpful and boring!
directing
More ug! This director better not start believing his own PR or he will out tarantino on the down tic. He has nothing more than pedestrian story telling abilities. He does nothing with his camera that is noteworthy. If he didn't have good DP and a good editor we wouldn't even be talking! screenwriting
Waldo Salt would be turning in his grave to learn that this poor excuse for a film was given a screenplay accolade in his name. the first rule of screen story telling is "Show us don't tell us!"
Yet how is the "film" resolved? In the last act the Joey P character tells us everything. PLEASE EVEN A BAD BAY WATCH EPISODE could resort to a better means of revealing important story information.
DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME, TRUST ME!