A Brilliant Story that Constantly Leaves You Bewildered

Rating: 10/10 (10 December 2001)

Okay, I've seen this film a few times now and I'm just now starting to get the jist of what's really going on. The first time I saw it, I was totally confused, but as I watched it over and over again, I realized that this is exactly what the director wants us to feel.
Leonard's world is a world of total confusion and complete disorientation where he's forced to live and re-live his life through the present moment, rather than through the past and the present. By showing us the scenes in reverse, we're forced to forget what just happened and so we can get a real sense of the disorientation and resulting frustration of not knowing what's happening or what led up to it. Combining it with the forward-going plot line of Sammy Jankis serves to push the disorientation and confusion even further. A brilliant, utterly ingenious concept of film-making, if you ask me. Oh, and Guy Pearce does an excellent job portraying Leonard. I don't think that anyone else could've done it any better.