Memento Review (Contains Spoilers)

Rating: 9/10 (11 May 2005)

When we speak of movies that push the limit, are controversial, and contain layers of meaning, not many can fit the bill. Memento isn't your traditional story in any sense. The first time you see this movie you may be confused and perhaps even frustrated with trying to understand the movie in all it's subtleties. However this movie is wonderfully compelling and full of suspense and surprises. The first and arguably most unique feature is in the way the story is told, completely in reverse. It's not that we watch it in reverse, but we get the chronology of the movie in small segments in reverse order. As far as movies go, Memento touched on issues regarding religion (consequences and actions), philosophy (specifically epistemology and certainly issues in metaphysics), and morality. The main character Lenny (Leonard) we discover to be unique for a few reasons. The most striking is his lack of short-term memory. While many of us can say we have bad short-term memory, Lenny no doubt has it worse. His short-term memory loss is so bad that he must tattoo any important information on his body. With any amount of empathy towards this situation, fear and confusion are immediately feelings of which there is no escape. However, Lenny has no choice, he has to deal with all of this with no one to trust and with no idea who to believe. Lenny suffers from a rare brain disease (or brain damage) from the 'incident'. He tells us of Sammy Jankis, the accountant he came across when he was a claims investigator. Sammy had this same disease where he did not have the ability to create new memories; He had no short-term memory. The most complex tasks were done with ease, as long as he had learned of it before his accident. Lenny tells us that there is a difference between himself and Sammy; He has a reason to live. Sammy on the other hand, had no reason, no system. Within the field of epistemology, testimony and memory are important ideas for the attainment of knowledge. In Lenny's condition, due to his inability to form short-term memory, he must rely on testimony. His reliance on notes, tattoo's, and his specific 'system' as he calls it is the way he has adapted to his condition. Also, because of his condition, the consequences of his actions are of no meaning since he will ultimately forget. He creates his own truth, his own meaning, and his own path. Every time Lenny's memory fades away, he's left in a waking state of forgetfulness. Like after waking up from a bad hangover or a deep sleep, he reorientates himself with where he is, what he is doing, and why he is doing what he is doing. The movie is unique in the way it presents the story. First, we see the end of the movie and we form our own conclusions regarding Lenny, Teddy, and Natalie. Yet slowly, the story jumps back into time, revealing yet another piece of what appears to be the final picture. The director keeps using this technique to keep us in suspense. Aside from the unique way in which this story is told, the simple aesthetics of this film are amazing. Many have classified this as 'film noir' from a previous era in film-making and I would have to agree that they share many elements in common. Yet there are features, such as the way the story is told, that set this apart from its predecessors. While the movie is full of suspense and action, the result of this movie is something that makes us think. We leave the movie with questions of our own, wondering about the true nature of man and how we use people to our own advantage. Certainly we wonder how someone can use another person with a server handicap to murder someone else. Nonetheless, Natalie and Teddy take advantage of Lenny and his condition to further their own interests. Without the ability to remember what we have done, do our actions even have meaning? Lenny said, "Just because there are things I don't remember doesn't make my actions meaningless". He had set out to discover the truth and take revenge for his wife's murder, but slowly the story turns into a direction where you wonder Did this really happen or is this just what someone told me? This movie is without a doubt a well-filmed and well-written story. The elements of surprise and suspense work well to draw the audience into the story and take an interest in the characters. The visual cues (black and white for the film cues and conversations), amazing use of lighting, and the timing of the jumps fit perfectly in with the dark nature of this film. This is without a doubt a wonderful film.