Do you know me?

Rating: 9/10 (12 June 2001)

Like a rocket ship, Christopher Nolan has arrived. Not since Bryan Singer and Christopher McQuarrie hit us with "The Usual Suspects" have I seen a thriller this refreshing. The plot unfolds in reverse with ingenuity and seamless precision. Much as McQuarrie relied on Verbal Kint's monologue to carry the viewer from scene to scene, Nolan allows an ongoing telephone conversation to grease his transitions. A case can be made that Nolan is even more successful. The film's over arching themes of denial, and the difficulty of living a life that acknowledges a past, present, and future, keep the conversations going well after the movie ends.

Guy Pearce is outstanding and with this role, should begin to be noticed for the versatile actor he is. Even though Carrie-Anne Moss turns in a credible performance, she will never get out from under "Trinity" in what may end up being sixteen sequels to "The Matrix". Surprisingly, Joe Pantoliano plays the same character he has been playing for 13 years and as is often the case, does it well. Remember what your momma told you about practice?
Hopefully this is just the beginning for Nolan, yet his next project is an action film with big Al Pacino and (gasp) Robin Williams. With any luck, he will follow McQuarrie's example rather than Singer's. Even if he is a one hit wonder, "Memento" will stand the test of time.