A brilliant idea that's masterfully executed.

Rating: Null/10 (8 April 2001)

"Memento" opens with the shot of a man holding a photograph of a bloody corpse. As the man shakes the photograph, the image starts to waver and fade, until it becomes the blank image that you initially see when a photo emerges from an instant camera. It becomes clear that this is a sequence shot with high-speed film backwards. Writer-director Christopher Nolan establishes two things right away. The first is the structure of the movie, which will go backwards in time from the murder shown in the opening scene to the moment when that murder becomes inevitable. The second is a visual metaphor for his protagonist's condition: Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) is brain damaged and cannot convert short-term memory into long-term memory. Ever since he confronted two burglars who sexually assaulted his wife, any new person, place, or object he encounters fades from his mind like the image you see in the opening scene. This leaves Leonard with a huge handicap because he is determined to kill his wife's murderer.
We don't have to wait long before we see Leonard kill the man he thinks is responsible. In the opening moments of the film, we see Leonard shoot Teddy (Joe Pantoliano) point blank in the back of his head. The initial footage is shown backwards, and then we successively see a short scene that leads up to Teddy's murder. This is followed by another that begins earlier, and the pattern will continue throughout the movie. Christopher Nolan uses this narrative technique to put us in Leonard's state of mind. Like us, he doesn't know what happened earlier. But because WE know the future, we slowly begin to glean how different characters are using Leonard and how he tries to learn the truth about his wife's death.
But there's another reason that Nolan tells the story backwards. Since we know that Leonard is going to kill Teddy, we do not ask ourselves "whodunit" as the picture progresses. What we want to know is whether Teddy really is the man who killed Leonard's wife, or is Leonard being set up by someone like seductive bartender Natalie (Carrie-Ann Moss)? Nothing is quite like it seems in this mystery, and the viewer has to pay close attention to gather all the clues. Fortunately, it isn't that hard to follow since Nolan punctuates each vignette with a striking visual image. Thus at the conclusion of each scene, we immediately recognize the beginning of the earlier episode, so we know how everything fits together. (Give credit to cinematographer Wally Phister, who does an outstanding job in this film.) Also, between the episodes we see a flashback of Leonard in a hotel room explaining his situation and the sad story of Sammy Jenkis to a mysterious caller on the telephone. (This sequence is shot in black-and-white to distinguish it from the other scenes.) Not only do we learn more about Leonard's condition in these scenes, but also his guilt for how he treated Jenkins, a man with a similar handicap whom Leonard investigated when he was an insurance claims expert. Sammy Jenkins' story becomes vitally important as the movie progresses.
This is one hell of a concept for a movie when you think about it, and Nolan did a very good job directing. But his direction would not have been enough without the terrific performances given by the principles. Guy Pearce (best known for his role in "L.A. Confidential") gives a haunting performance of a man who has to constantly reassemble the pieces of his shattered life minute by minute. Carrie-Ann Moss is more than just a pretty face who usually turns up in movies like these, but a very good actress who is alternately both tender and manipulative to Leonard. Joe Pantoliano's loquacious performance as the doomed Teddy is reminiscent of a young Joe Pesci. He almost never stops talking and he often leavens the story with humor. His Teddy seems like a pal, but you're never completely sure how far you should trust him. If there's any justice, all three of these performers will be rewarded with Oscar nominations next year, and Guy Pearce will grab a trophy like his "L.A. Confidential" co-stars Kevin Spacey and Russell Crowe.
To sum up, I cannot recommend this movie any more highly than I do. It is not often that I feel compelled to see the same movie twice within 24 hours, but that is the case with "Memento." After you see this, you will probably want to discuss the film with other people who have seen the whole film. If that's the case, I urge you to go to the IMDB message forum for "Memento", and keep the secret from others who don't want to learn any spoilers prematurely.....