It's no wonder why Christopher Nolan has become one of the more widely-discussed filmmakers of the twenty-first century

Rating: 7/10 (22 December 2011)

Two hobbies that I enjoy above most others are going to the movies and puzzles. As long as the latter isn't more tricky and complicated than it really needs to be, and focuses on a point where an average person can ponder over it and figure it out without losing the enjoyment of solving a problem, I am always looking forward to a good brain-teaser. So, as you can imagine, I was very eagerly looking forward to "Memento" one of the early films of the much-lauded Christopher Nolan, whom I also have great admiration for. Now "Memento" could be considered more of an avant-garde narrative puzzle than a groundbreaking film and it probably works better on a first viewing than a second, but it had me enveloped from the word go.
Director Nolan and his brother, co-screenwriter Jon Nolan, took the conventional narrative movement and essentially played it in reverse. The movie's timeline starts at the end, with an amnesiac (Guy Pearce) murdering another man (Joe Pantoliano) and then photographing his handiwork. May not seem all that extraordinary or new, except that it's played in reverse, so the Polaroid we see in extreme close-up goes from developed to black and the blood on the walls runs upwards instead of down. From there, the picture plays its narrative backwards in section, with black-and-white prologues and epilogues, if you will, providing the groundwork for what will come in between.
The story is that Mr. Pearce is an amnesiac for anything that happened in the past few minutes. Yet he's on a mission to murder the man who raped and killed his wife. Could it be the fellow from the beginning? How would a man with this condition maintain such a task without being conned, used, or targeting the wrong guy? Well, that is one of the great things about "Memento." The imaginative if non-plausible information that it supplies in suggesting how a person with this handicap could accomplish (or try to, at least) something of this nature. For instance, Mr. Pearce photographs his current residencies (motels, usually) and the people he's helping or help, and jots down notes. They're notes for the audience as well as him, and that's another thing that makes this so much fun: audience involvement. It's up to us to help solve the mystery as well.
Played in a regular narrative-form, "Memento" might have been a neo-noir. To some extent, it might still be, with its elements of a misguided, vulnerable man, a femme fatale (or is she?), and a mission to murder. But overall, it's more or less a film of its own kind. One of the best things about Christopher Nolan the director as well as the storyteller is that he's like Stanley Kubrick in this regard: he's self-defined. He makes his movies in a way that is distinctly his own and unlike others, probably part of the reason why he's admired by some and absolutely despised by others. He's got an aggressive style that is mostly foolproof (although I would prefer he learns to frame action in wider shots and ease up on the quick cuts) and very engaging. It's always fun to see something new, and so his radically unique style is perfectly matched to this radically unique form of storytelling.
The picture is like your favorite jigsaw puzzle, if that's your thing. It's most exciting the first time around and still plenty enjoyable once you've done it a few times and gotten a pretty good handle on which pieces go where and when. It is also very well-acted, with an especially good performance from Joe Pantoliano as the murdered man, who turns out to have played a big part in the amnesiac man's life before. As the amnesiac, Mr. Pearce does a phenomenal job acknowledging one fact and then seeming to forget it a minute later. A picture like this requires a star who can work well with the audience and he succeeds on all levels. Carrie-Anne Moss, as a woman who might not (or just might) be helping Mr. Pearce along is in good form as well, providing flesh and blood to a fascinating supporting character.
It's no wonder why Christopher Nolan has become one of the more widely-discussed filmmakers of the twenty-first century. Again, to compare him to Kubrick, he's self-defined and engaging in his own unique way. But it's more than unique that makes his films, "Memento" included such a treat. It's the way he engages the audience. Granted, his style is not for everyone. Folks who dislike puzzles and mind tricks, beware.