Review

I first watched this movie in high school, during an epistemology course called Theory of Knowledge. The goal of showing the movie is to showcase the reliability of memory (or lack thereof) and how one’s reality is subject to the systems and representations one uses. Maybe it was because of the setting, I found the film to be mediocre at best. Rewatching it again today, my opinions have changed and I actually quite enjoyed it.

The story follows Leonard (Guy Pearce), a former insurance investigator who suffers from anterograde amnesia after enduring an attack and witnessing the murder of his wife (Jorja Fox). Leonard hunts down his wife’s murderer with the help of his friend Teddy (Joe Pantoliano).

Good movies always warrant discussion and Memento definitely does so. The non-linear plot with complex twists and turns is fun to delve into and come up with conjectures. Nolan does give part of the true plot away by asserting that black and white scenes are objective while the coloured scenes are subjective, but there are still some plot points which are up to interpretation. Pearce’s performance is fantastic as a driven and frustrated Leonard while Pantoliano’s Teddy makes for a fantastic sidekick. The supporting cast, which includes Carrie-Anne Moss’s mysterious Natalie and Stephen Tobolowsky’s harmless Sammy, all contribute to making Leonard a confusing and unreliable narrator. The cinematography, with its sharp lighting and claustrophobic closeups also help immerse viewers into the disorienting story.

Conclusion

Bravo, Nolan.

Overall rating: 8.4

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(Film Review) Memento

# Review

# Conclusion

# Overall rating: 8.4

Review

Conclusion

Overall rating: 8.4