A crafty, twisty thriller that builds itself on the foundation of film noirs past and present.

Rating: 9/10 (2 July 2010)

In Los Angeles an insurance agent (Guy Pearce) with the inability to form short-term memories attempts to avenge the rape and murder of his wife.
Memento was an astonishingly ambitious feature for young British director Christopher Nolan to undertake as his first American production, attempting - at the end of the films' first century - to rewrite the rules of narrative cinema in some way: much of what we see takes place in reverse, as dictated by the hero's condition. That it succeeds in not only being comprehensible - thanks to bold, indelible performances - but a resonant musing on identity makes the film even more astounding. Hugely influential among aspiring screenwriters, this is a film that demands fullest attention. Memento is number 173 on Empire magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time.