A Perfect 10

Rating: 10/10 (29 April 2002)

You'll either love or hate Memento. It's that kind of movie. If you want a lot of fast action, special effects, and spoon-fed messages, pass on this one. You won't understand it, and it will probably bore you to tears. However, if you really enjoy puzzles and if you appreciate absolutely first-rate production values, acting, direction, and plot, then buy or rent this one as fast as you can. Also, bring a little intelligence. It helps.
Memento succeeds on many levels. It is among the greatest noir films ever made. It's got guns, cars, black humor, red herrings, and a femme fatale. It outshines Psycho in engaging the audience on a subliminal basis. Indeed, as a thriller, it ranks with Hitchcock's best. Best of all, it poses a number of profound BIG questions concerning the nature of man, his morality, and the basis for his civilizations and religions in such a subtle way that it almost seems an afterthought. Yes, this movie will really make you think. And it will make you want to talk to others about it.
Much has been made of the way the director, Christopher Nolan, structured the film in backward sequences to give the audience the same feelings of confusion and frustration as the protagonist, Leonard Shelby, who is played by Guy Pearce. Not so easily recognized is how the clues that Nolan gives his audience can be added up in many different ways to reach a `conclusion'. Virtually no two people will agree completely on just exactly what they saw or even what it means. This effect is extraordinary and can be compared to only a few films, such as Rashomon, where the characters give widely different interpretations of events. In Memento, we are able to construct our own reality from the facts that we are given. In truth, what seem to be facts can be interpreted to a high degree and are really decision points upon which we can diverge to build our own recollection of events and conclusions. Memento thus becomes an individually unique experience and, in a convincing way, supports Nolan's thesis that memories are not to be trusted. (After repeated viewings, it's still 10/10.)