More than A Backwards Gimmick - Addictive Puzzle, Great Acting and Look

Rating: 10/10 (30 November 2005)

"Memento" is for fans of "The Usual Suspects" and "Croupier," and I've only ever found one person that didn't like either of those.
Going one better than the circular story-telling of "Pulp Fiction" or re-playing of" Run Lola Run," "Memento" takes us inside the head of an investigator with no short-term memory who develops various crutches to continue his vengeful search. I've been a fan of Guy Pearce since his Australian TV days, on into "Priscilla" and "L.A. Confidential" and this allows him even more range.
For us to experience time the way he does, the story unravels through backwards scenes; the technique is indicated from the opening shot where a graphic Polaroid photo fades while being shook, instead of the expected getting brighter and clearer -- a visual metaphor for the protagonist as well. After that, the story isn't on literal rewind; instead we see the scenes in reverse order of how they happened; onion-like we see how the character ended up getting to the scene just before. If Humphrey Bogart's character thought "The Big Sleep" tough to figure out, this one is even more convoluted.
Carrie Ann Moss and Joe Pantoliano are terrific, and not relying on some of their tics from other movies and TV shows, as the folks who may or may not be lying to or manipulating the protagonist.
I'm not 100% sure how all the pieces fit together and went to see it again a week later -- and came away with different interpretations. And I got a third interpretation from reading the original short story by the director's brother that was in the April 2001 issue of "Esquire." And doubtless there's other interpretations in the special edition DVD.
(originally written 4/1/2001)