Stay awake and remember everything

Rating: Null/10 (8 June 2003)

His problem: following the rape and murder of his wife and a savage assault on him, he can no longer retain short-term memories and recalls nothing after the murder - yet he is determined to kill the man responsible. His solution: to have key facts about the case tattooed on his body and to record other information through instant photographs and written notes. Our problem: the whole film is constructed in a series of flash-backs in reverse chronological order. Our solution: concentrate on every scene when the film is rolling and then think like crazy when it's all over.
He is played compellingly by Guy Pearce who was so good in "L.A. Confidential". He might be being assisted by a bartender (Carrie Ann-Moss in a rare foray out of the "The Matrix") and an undercover police man (Joe Pantoliano who was also in that sci-fi classic). In only his second film, British Christopher Nolan - who both wrote and directed - has created a truly original work which forces us to confront the fragility of memory.