the most intriguing film I've seen in a long time..

Rating: 9/10 (14 July 2001)

As much as i really wanted to see Memento on the big screen, somehow i missed it and had to wait for video. I found the premise fascinating and intriguing, and couldnt wait to see it. At last, i rented it and got it home to watch, and at first, i have to admit, it was kinda like, 'what...'? The whole backwards thing seemed like it was really going to be an obstacle at first, and i was worried i might not be able to really get absorbed by the film because of this. But, my fears were quelled and i found myself totally getting into the film, and once i got used to the backwards deal, i realised how genius it was. To provide us at the beginning of each scene with only the knowledge that the protagonist, Leonard Shelby, has, and no information about previous events. This way we start the film knowing only what Leonard Shelby knows, and thus allowing us to empathise with his frustration and anguish in his search for the truth. In a way, this divides the film into 3 parts, much like other films such as Reservoir Dogs. In the 1st part, we have little or no knowledge about the characters, so the characters in the film who *are* informed have one up on us. In the 2nd part of the film we learn more, and we actually surpass the level of information of other characters in the film. In the 3rd part, the climax of the film, the remaining characters catch up with us as they learn the truth. This structure gives us a connection with the characters and makes us feel involved in the film. And clever tricks aside, what a genuinely great film! The characters were solid and believable, the actors' and actresses' performances were excellent, the themes of the movie were classic, but not cliche, and i was truly gripped by this film from beginning to end. And the ending (which I'm not going to give away) was completely unexpected (by me at least), but still entirely believable. A must-see, in my opinion, and I'd recommend watching it more than once- there's so much to it that you'll pick up second time around.