Great Mystery with a Unique Style

Rating: 7/10 (23 December 2007)

Christopher Nolan has created a classic, and very unique, thriller. Based on the short story written by Nolan's brother, the movie follows Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce), a man on the hunt for the person responsible for the rape and murder of his wife. The catch: Leonard suffers from anterograde amnesia, he is unable to create new memories. So to keep track of his investigation, he must take notes and pictures; in some cases, actually tattooing the facts onto his body. During his hunt, he must learn to distinguish between those who aim to help him, and those who aim to use him.
As you probably know, the real interesting aspect of this movie is that its events are told in reverse. The movie begins at the end of the story and works its way to the start. In doing this, Nolan keeps the audience in the same state as Leonard himself. Just as Leonard has no recollection of how he came to be where he is, neither does the person watching the movie. In editing the movie in this way, Nolan helps the audience sympathize with Leonard's situation and his constant confusion. Of course, this style is definitely not for everyone. In fact, a good chunk of the people I've shown this movie to can't stand it for that very reason. They become too confused and can't follow the story, so they give up and walk away. Oh well, in my opinion, it's their loss. I personally thought it made the movie that much better, almost placing the viewer in Leonard's scenario. And despite the fact the movie starts at the end, there are still a couple twists the audience may not see coming.
The story, while seemingly a simple concept, is fantastic (and definitely complex). The characters are shady and you never know who to trust. Joe Pantoliano plays Teddy, a cop who has been helping Leonard in his search, and Carrie-Anne Moss plays a waitress who agrees to help Leonard but may have a deeper connection to the situation. Without knowledge of prior events, like the protagonist, the audience is left suspicious of everyone Leonard encounters.
Despite the many haters of this film out there, I think everyone should give this movie a chance. It may be a bit confusing at times, but it all pays off by the time you've figured it out.