The direction is the real winner (spoilers)

Rating: Null/10 (18 October 2001)

Many people have found Memento frustrating, and I can see why. After concentrating so hard on keeping up with the action and being convinced that you are being led back to an explosive finale, you just end up with Guy Pearce saying "now, where was I?" and you realise that you've been concentrating so hard on absolutely nothing. I, however, thought that this movie was absolute genius.
Director Christopher Nolan uses a post-Tarantino style narrative, moving the story backwards. It's good to see some new styles of narrative as opposed to the 'Pulp Fiction' style with stories all interlinking towards the conclusion. Not only does the storytelling style impress, but it also puts the viewer right into the head of Leonard Shelby. Yes, it's frustrating - but Nolan is just trying to convey to you how frustrating it is for Shelby, and he has chosen the best possible way of doing it.
The three protagonist performances from Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano are good. Pantoliano and Moss in particular are superb in convincing the audience that they're something what they are not. However, the real superstar in the film is Christopher Nolan's outstanding direction and script. He never tells the audience too much to make the film boring, but he also never tells too little to keep the audience guessing. There are so many 'blink and you'll miss it' moments (keep an eye out for Sammy Jankis sitting in the residential home) that you cannot absorb everything necessary in one viewing. What Nolan has successfully done is keep the audience in the palm of his hand and thrown them into the head of Leonard Shelby. And I loved every minute of it.
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