funny reactions...

Rating: 10/10 (31 July 2001)

Having now seen Memento twice, and having discussed some plot details with friends, I went through the comments on IMDB looking for more insights. I did find a few -- thanks! -- but mostly I'm struck by the observation that many people who seemingly didn't follow the plot nonetheless LOVE this film. It's really so good that you don't have to "get it" to admire the hell out of it.
And, naturally, a good number of those who misunderstand the plot and/or underestimate the story's integrity HATE it. The sneers directed at a legitimate masterpiece (and the many viewers who rate it one) are, in a word, pathetic...
**Spoilers**
**Spoilers**
Memento is absolutely not about a plucky protagonist earnestly trying to find an anonymous assailant and avenge his wife's death. It's about our boy Lenny fumbling through an impossibly complicated psychological maze until, in a moment of perfect clarity, he concocts a happy ending for himself. It's also about a fascinated Teddy toying for a while with a dangerous freak but ultimately failing to foresee how a human mind might turn its own fatal flaw into an awesome weapon. If you consider Lenny's likely fate after the last scene -- how he will interpret his tatoos and unburned polaroids for the rest of his life (presumably back in the mental hospital) it's clear that Leonard managed to resolve (for himself) the crushing and seemingly impossible dilemma of his own guilt.