An Intelligent Reworking for a Modern Uptake of a Thriller

Rating: Null/10 (30 June 2001)

Spoiler Alert - Memento appears to be the kind of film which actually would be a lot more cerebral when reading the short story it was based on. It is to Nolan's credit that the entire vehicle remains tight and not tacky with the narrative running in retro-linear fashion. There have been films of late playing around with the content of time and space, and there is a good parallel between a thriller like this in comparison to say, Timecode. But this thriller plays out more like a mix between the Australian sleeper Proof and the psychotically brilliant Pi. The former is seen in the fumbling of clues between a man on STM and a blind figure, and the latter especially in the black/white mise-en-scenes. Right up to the end, it is open to interpretation who actually did what and for what reason, but it is this sort of interplay which allows for Nolan and his intelligent cast to communicate the message to the audience.