The remarkable narrative of 'Memento' is unfortunately framed around unremarkable characters.

Rating: 7/10 (9 October 2015)

I've always had a problem with Christopher Nolan's films: I struggle to appreciate his characters. The incredible experiences in which Matthew McConaughey's Cooper ('Interstellar'), Leonardo DiCaprio's Cobb ('Inception') and Guy Pearce's Leonard ('Memento') find themselves often accentuate their inability to appear convincing, real, and therefore human. I understand that when a protagonist is designed with no short-term memory (as 'Memento''s is), painting a vivid narrative portrait of him is no easy task; knowing this didn't improve my experience of the film, though. Although I didn't relate to or care for Leonard or indeed any of the other characters of 'Memento', I still gave it a favourable rating, and this is why: The narrative style employed by Nolan in this film truly is something to behold, and it is imposed in a manner which prevents it from being arbitrary or superficial. I'll say no more, as interpreting and coming to terms with the storytelling of 'Memento' was quite rewarding, and I implore you not to check any synopses prior to viewing the film. Whilst the technical aspects of the title are great (I'm chiefly thinking of the editing), I repeat my point about not really being able to invest in the content of Nolan's world. Perhaps I'm a philistine for preferring other "lost identity" titles such as Denis Villeneuve's 'Enemy' and Brad Anderson's 'The Machinist', but Nolan certainly makes 'Memento' a unique experience.