Film Review - Memento (2000)

Rating: 9/10 (5 January 2018)

Rating: 9/10
A singular effort from Nolan, who pens and helms his second feature-length film, Memento is the ultimate non-linear thriller, dolling out moments of cinematic excellence. Its only criticism is an unavoidable one, at times flirting with the edges of being puzzling and unclear.
Starring Guy Pearce, Memento, in its simplest terms, chronicles Leonard's experiences as he wrestles with short-term memory loss whilst trying to uncover the identity of his wife's killer.
In the interest of not completely alienating too many audience members, Nolan deploys the use of a black and white colour scale to signify flashbacks and breaks from the chronology of the story. One instance where this is extremely effective is in the Sammy Jankis anecdotes, where we are given insights into the condition of memory loss and hints towards the main character's own condition and the possible motivations for his actions. The cinematography, while simple, is vital to the structure of the story and to the audience's emotional investment. These scenes are also filled close ups, with Stephen Tobolowsky's facial expressions superbly depicting fear and confusion, and ultimately inspiring empathy from the audience, as the film approaches an emotional crescendo.
Loud noises, such as doors slamming, also give structural cues to the audience as to when Guy Pearce's heart-broken amnesic Leonard's current cycle of memory ends, and consequently when a new one begins. This, while helping the audience to make sense of each scene, also adds a significant dramatic effect by punctuating each scene, usually indicating rising action.
Nolan subtly draws sympathy for Leonard through the angling of several shots. Above, we can see how Carrie-Anne Moss is looking down on Leonard, as the audience has also recently been endowed with the knowledge that she has been taking advantage of him. It is subtleties such as these that Nolan expertly equips that make this film as engrossing as it is smart.
Delivered using a structure that is as non-linear as humanly possible, there are at times when this film feels slightly - for want of a better word - jumbled. Granted that making a palatable summer blockbuster was the least of Nolan's concerns, while some reveals and twists are made to feel more grandiose and therefore more emotionally impacting, countless comments of 'I didn't get it' can hardly be met with surprise.
Christopher Nolan's second feature is packed with cinematic trickery, and will no doubt leave viewers leaving with more questions than they arrived with. You get the sense that, like many sophomore entries - Pulp Fiction being an obvious example - this is a filmmaker's film.
Despite, or because of this, Memento is not to be missed. It is a structural triumph, challenging and demanding your full attention, just falling short of ranking amongst the most rewarding of watches out there.