Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
4/4
A jaw-dropping Hitchcockian-like thriller-mystery
memento_mori - wrote on 06/27/2013
Easily the most complicated movie I've ever seen, with its outstanding structure, acting, direction and overall story, Memento is a modern mystery classic, with a slight trail of neo-noir.
Leonard Shelby is from San Francisco. He has a motel room. He has a car. He has a murdered wife. What he doesn't have is his memory. And still, armed with basically next to nothing, he sets out to find his wife's killer.
Christopher Nolan made the right choice choosing Guy Pearce to embody Leonard Shelby, because he is a perfect fit. I can see he is tormented, confused, determined and vengeful, visualizing some of the most well-developed and directed characters put to screen.
I actually feel kind of sorry for Guy Pearce, he's a great actor. He started off excellently in the late nineties with L.A. …
Rating of
4/4
A crackerjack neo-Nair retrograded approach
sreekirch - wrote on 03/18/2012
Memento is a psychological thriller that does not begin and end, but ends and then shows how it began. Christopher Nolan adapted the basic plot from his brother Jonathan’s short novel Memento mori. Although there were many changes in the feature film, the basic idea is from the novel. Christopher Nolan is already known for the Following in 1998, where he adapted a technique in showing elements in reverse chronological order and even though he did not get much attention with that, memento will make him recognize himself. This movie stands as his own and it will define him. The various elements in the movie like plot, narration and action set ups are all having some uniqueness in terms of demonstrating. I will say that action scenes are not really engaging enough to set the seats high in …
Rating of
4/4
Unforgettable Effort By Chris Nolan
MovieMike - wrote on 12/22/2011
I have to confess to this great affinity for films that are considered ‘off-beat’; ‘Fargo’ (1996) is a personal favorite. In addition to that gem, the Coen brothers have provided us with other great titles in this genre, such as ‘Raising Arizona’ (1987), ‘The Big Lebowski’ (1998), and ‘No Country For Old Men’ (2007). There are a few other directors who’ve worked in this category; Quentin Tarantino, whose directorial credits include ‘Reservoir Dogs’ (1992) and ‘Pulp Fiction’ (1994), immediately comes to mind. Other films of this type seem to have been one-shot entries for directors such as John Herzfeld, who offered us ‘Two Days In The Valley’ (1996). Director Chris Nolan made his initial foray into the genre with his first full-length feature film …
Rating of
4/4
"Memento" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 12/16/2011
An ex insurance investigator with a medical condition that leaves him with no short term memory is hunting the killer of his wife with the aid of notes left to himself in the form of tattoos all over his body. Christopher Nolan's big budget debut is a stunningly original twist on the detective movie formula, telling the story of a man's quest for vengeance in reverse chronological order. This sounds like a very simple, almost obvious idea, but it is done with such beautifully engineered intelligence and subtlety that it keeps you guessing not only til the end of the film, but also til the end of each scene as you, along with Guy Pearce's obsessive investigator, try to link each jigsaw puzzle piece of the story together. It's one of those films that is ironically unforgettable, and my …
Rating of
4/4
Memento review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 08/31/2011
An innovative Hitchcockian thriller with solid acting, extraordinary editing and a brilliant screenwriting. It’s the story of how insurance investigator Leonard Shelby (Guy Pierce) got his illness and unraveled a mystery of his wife’s murder. Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss) aids Shelby in solving his concern and likewise asks a favor from him. Teddy (Joe Pantoliano also John Edward Gammell/corrupt cop), a compulsive liar who tries to assist Leonard by explaining certain events involving his life such as Sammy being a conman and that it was his wife that was diabetic. Thought provoking quotes from Leonard Shelby – “Memory can change the shape of a room; it can change the color of a car. And memories can be distorted. They're just an interpretation, they're not a record, and …
Rating of
4/4
Like the "backwards" episode of Seinfeld : )
The Film Rebel - wrote on 04/18/2010
What am I doing here? Why am I running? Where am I? These are the questions our main character Leonard Shelby must ask himself in "Memento", director Christopher Nolan's ("Dark Knight", "The Prestige", "Insomnia") masterpiece. With twist and turns that you'll never see coming, "Memento" introduced a clever and very original style of filmmaking that will leave some viewers amazed and some confused.
"Memento" follows a character named Leonard Shelby (an excellent Guy Pearce). Leonard has a very rare case of short term memory loss. He forgets things just about every 15 minutes. In order to remind himself of important things, he leaves tattoos and notes all over his body and takes important photos of every person. His condition especially hurts him in the case of finding his wife's …
Rating of
4/4
A Wonderful Little Jigsaw Puzzle
LeopardExplosion - wrote on 11/09/2008
Christopher Nolan shares with you a story about Leonard Shelby, a man who gained a short-term memory loss condition after is wife was raped and murdered. Even though Lenny can't make new memories, he uses his old ones before the death of his wife, to find the man who did this to him.
An absolutely incredible move from Nolan. Thrillers/Mysteries never turn out the way they should these days. Movies like Memento and Seven are completely unpredictable and enthrall every bit, while todays flicks are just a quick scare that is easily forgotten.
Though the movie works backwards in a confusing motion, and may have to be viewed a number of times in order to understand the plot and everything behind the scenes, Memento is one of the best recent thrillers out there.
By The Way, That Dvd …
Rating of
4/4
Consistent with the Inconsistencies of Memory
Franz Patrick - wrote on 03/17/2008
The first time I saw this movie, I remember being absolutely stunned. Even though I had no idea what happened, I quickly admired its different type of storytelling. When the credits rolled, I wanted to know more about it and wanted to see it again to see if it would make sense the second time. It's a great marketing ploy but it's more than that: it is insightful and knowledgeable about the inconsistencies of memory and the depravity and motivations of people. I've taken a handful of Psychology classes so I was able to apply some of my knowledge with the film, which was neat. Still, even if one is not comfortable or has no Psychology background, it's still thoroughly engaging because twists pile on top of one another. Whenever I'm asked what this film is about, my usual response is, "It …
Rating of
4/4
Masterpiece.
FZero - wrote on 02/06/2008
To label Memento as a modern-day masterpiece would be a striking understatement. Nolan has created a film that distinctively stands on its own against any era, an achievement he will in all likelihood never duplicate throughout his career. Multiple screenings are an absolute requirement as the answers don’t come easy and the conclusion is open to interpretation.
Memory is an essential part of everyday life. It builds character and creates experiences that define us. Memento takes a haunting look at a man whose inability to make new memories makes him an empty shell with only one goal in mind, revenge for his dead wife.
Memento is shown in reverse chronology, where the viewer is shown to 3-8 minute segments in reverse. The “end” of the movie plays out in the first scene …
Rating of
3/4
There are lots of John G.'s in this world.
TheWolf - wrote on 07/26/2007
This movie is facinating, it really makes you think and you have to pay close attention to everything that is going on one step at a time. This movie will rope you in, but if you miss part of one scene then you will have to go back and watch it again to see what is happening.
The only plot flaw that I saw in the movie is that while he has no short term memory, he can remember to tell everyone that he has no short term memory. Being that he forgets things in a minute or two, I don't know how he would know that he has no short term memory, especially since he said the most recent thing he can remember his his wife dying.
Now with that out of the way... I didn't watch this movie to find things to pick apart, I watched this movie to be entertained, and let me tell you that it will at the …
