Definitely one to think about

Rating: 10/10 (5 May 2001)

This remarkable film has drawn obvious comparisons to The Usual Suspects, not because of the content of the film, but because of the delivery. Like The Usual Suspects, Memento revels in leading the audience down one path of apparent certainty before taking a sudden sprint down another to confuse and disorientate, but more importantly to question what has come before. Is what you have just seen only 15 or so minutes before real? Can anybody be trusted? And what do we really know about Leonard?
This is the true beauty of the film, not only does it present a character who himself is an, albeit empathetic, enigma, but it forces the audience to feel exactly what this character is feeling. The short, sharp bursts of information which is contradicted, then re-inforced, then contradicted once again to provide a list of characters whose motivations are at all times unclear puts us in exactly the same predicament that Leonard is in. Who if anyone in this film is telling the truth, the whole story? And who can we trust?
This is a film which demands a second viewing to begin to come to any level of understanding, and even then you will find yourself reaching for the rewind button to try and reach a further understanding. The key to remember is that this film is intended to be ambiguous, there is no real answer to the questions that you will find yourself asking. Has Leonard finally found his man, has he killed before and most importantly does the man he is looking for actually exist? We simply don't know, and why? Because we learn only what Leonard learns and know only what Leonard knows which ultimately is nothing more than a few scribbled notes and images to fill in the pieces of a much larger puzzle.
This film demands viewing by anyone with an interest in film for the simple fact that it is an incredibly powerful example of the power of the medium. The majority of films present a story in a neat little package nicely wrapped up, if not necessarily for the protagonists, certainly for the viewer. This film does not on either count and requires a level of concentration and involvement from the audience that will make you forget entirely that this is only a film, a piece of entertainment.
Incidentally, the Memento website provides some clues in answering the mystery that are not provided in the film. Leonard's wife is definitely killed in the attack at his home and not, as Teddy would have us believe, at a later date by Leonard. However, the site lends much creedence to the notion that Leonard has killed several times before and then consciously or other wise, destroyed the evidence. It also informs us that Leonard has spent a great deal of time (nearly 2 years)in psychiatric care trying to recover from his condition, undergoing many of the same tests used on Sammy Jankis.
Overall I give this film 10/10 and would advise anybody to go and see it and experience a rare treat, a true cinematic gem.