Almost Defies Explanation (A Film Told In Reverse)

Rating: 10/10 (10 March 2017)

Every once in awhile, you watch a film so good, inventive, and original that it almost leaves you a bit stunned. That is exactly how I feel when I watch "Memento", perhaps the most perfectly-crafted movie of all times in terms of screenplay and plotting.
For a basic plot summary, "Memento" tells the story of an amnesiac who cannot remember short-term events. He knows who is and basic tenants of his life, but the day-to-day details reset from time to time. Thus, this film is devoted to him trying to avenge his wife's killing and putting together the pieces of his confusing identity.
"Memento" is much deeper than that above description, but to say any more would give away the fun of figuring it all out. The story is told in such a unique fashion that it will keep you guessing (but in a good way) until the very end. In what would prove to be a pattern for the Nolans going forward (especially projects in which Jonathan is attached too), the narrative does not play out in a linear format. Instead, it gives us little chunks in reverse order, so basically we see the ending first and then keep pulling back the curtain to understand the "why" of it all. What a concept! It takes a perfect screenplay to pull that off, and the Nolans come through easily on that front. I can only imagine the time and effort it must have taken to tell a story in this manner.
Perhaps the greatest compliment I can give this film, however, is that it accomplishes the feat of bending the mind yet ultimately creating a remarkably cohesive overall story. In other words, it is both very complicated and very fun to watch. I was taken on a psychological adventure and given an ending worthy of the journey. Unlike other mind-benders such as, say, "Primer" or "Donnie Darko" (that revel in the confusion they are creating), "Memento" accomplishes the rare feat of being equally entertaining and challenging.
Thus, "Memento" is now firmly ensconced on my "Top Films of all-time" list, in large part because, 18 years after its debut, there still really isn't anything like it. There's a reason why the Nolans have become such large entities in Hollywood, and it all comes back to this groundbreaking film.