Memento
By Ava Fineza
I can’t get much into the plot of Memento without spoiling the whole thing, and besides that’s what you have the logline for! Here are my thoughts on it instead:) The film takes you on a journey and makes you feel just like Leonard - constantly giving you more information but not showing you what to do with it - and the movie does a great job of keeping you clueless until the end. Memento was mind-blowing, and I’m writing this not two minutes after I finished the film, trying to get as much information down as I can, frantically scribbling on Polaroids with black pens, trying not to forget anything. The film was magnetic, amazingly suspenseful and confusing in the best way, and even though I was expecting a big twist I was still shocked at the movie’s conclusion. The directing and the writing is crazy, somehow giving us everything we need to know but by simply changing the order in which we see it we are left confused. Guy Pearce’s performance was great, as well as everyone else’s, and I feel like I just need a moment longer to sit down and think about what I just watched, soak in its genius. Really great movies just stick with you and I’m happy to say that, unlike poor Leonard, this film is something I won’t
Where was I? Oh right-
logline: A man named Leonard searches for the man that raped and murdered his wife while dealing with a form of short term memory loss.
Fun Fact: Memento is actually based on a short story that was written by Christopher Nolan’s brother, Jonathan Nolan. You can read it here and listen to it here.
My Favorite Character:
Guy Pearce as Leonard Shelby - His inner monologue carried the whole movie. Even when you can’t see him you can hear the emotion through his words. Slightly snarky and very confused, Pearce plays Leonard wonderfully and gets you rooting for him immediately. I have to wonder, though, if he actually got anything tattooed…
Where to Watch: Tubi, or Amazon Prime, YouTube, Google Play, and Vudu for purchase.
Also, I actually watched the film on a site called Kanopy, in which you can use your library card(if you have one) to watch five movies for free each month. It was super easy to sign up and this is not a sponsorship, just more of a PSA. Here it is, hope it helps!
Rating: R for violence, strong language and some drug content.
Beautiful poster art by Léopold Jansen