Surprising in multiple ways. Fabulous without being flashy.

Rating: 9/10 (5 January 2017)

I was not expecting this movie to have such an emotional theme to it, but I was happy that it did. Most thrillers and stories that center around murders and revenge are not that emotionally compelling. Their appeal tends to come more from the mystery of the story and the shock factor of revelations. Memento is not lacking one bit in this area, but goes a step further by delivering on an emotional level and perhaps even making us question the way we go through life.
Leonard's condition is a unique one that the majority of audiences have no experience with, but he's really no different than the rest of us. He just has a diagnosis to highlight it. All of us stumble through life with misconceptions because of the limited information we have. Leonard has to deal with the same thing, just on a heightened level. His solution is good in theory: only rely on facts. But by the end we realize that "fact" can be a malleable thing. Once Leonard decides that Teddy is his "John G.", it does not really matter whether Teddy is his wife's murderer. That's Leonard's reality and he doesn't let himself think twice about it. Self -deception like the kind seen in this film can be beneficial as much as it can be harmful, but it was more powerful and striking to have the story end in tragedy.
The backward progression, while it may seem like a gimmick at first glance, was definitely a good move. The nature of the story called for it to be told in reverse. Watching Memento in chronological order would probably make more sense, but it would end up being a rather dry story. Most of the mystery and drama would be lost.
Our characters were not the most enjoyable to see on screen, but I think they were created well. Teddy, Leonard, and Natalie are actually pretty normal people without any personal qualities that made me like them. But all three of them had motives, flaws, and emotions like real people do, which made the movie as a whole better. It just wasn't shown in a flashy way that called for any great acting performances or snappy dialogue.
This is an excellent pick if you like thrillers and if you like non-linear story telling. If you like guessing the ending of movies and bragging to your friends about how good you are at predicting how things will play out, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. While there is a fabulous twist ending that will drop your jaw without resorting to fanfare, it is not the kind of twist that can be predicted based on what has already been shown. It's a very psychological story, which is what I love about it, but I know some people prefer more straightforward and external story structures. So just be aware of that. One final caution: this is not the type of movie that will gross you out or make your stomach turn with vicious murders and gore, but it could be emotionally upsetting. You will not feel hopeful at the end. All the same, enjoy! Overall Rating: 8.9/10.