ericjcant-1 Review of Memento

Memento (2000)

Powerfully dark and beautiful film. Looks into the void of a life only half lived.

[10/10 · 8 December 2020]

Memento is a spectral masterpiece of relentless and poignant visual story telling. It unwinds a fascinating story, walking a fine line between crime-noir and psychological drama, yet with a self-awareness that somewhat reminds me of Bergman's sincerity. That might sound a bit gratuitous to some, but making a film like this, where the script is so strong, requires a solid director who not only facilitates the story correctly, but preserves the presence of the mood and not sanitizing it. Guy Pearce's delivery of the first person narrative is spot-on in tone and with a strangely fascinating pragmatic determinism as we start to understand Leonard's strange existence. I think this story is told perfectly through Nolan's lens, and with a premise that is compelling from its first dark note. I have to give Nolan credit for not making this film something that wraps up a comfortably resolved climax with a bow on top. There are questions that cannot and should not be answered, and this is partially why it leaves the viewer with such a strong and eerie impact. There are only portions of the mystery that can be resolved due to Leonard's condition. Leonard is a character the viewer feels compelled to immediately sympathize with, and integrity that is unquestionable. You cannot help but to empathize with the excellent narrative and put yourself in Leonard's shoes. But the card that Leonard has been dealt is such a dark echo of functional existence. No matter how bad you want clean cut answers, the bigger picture has too many holes, and the extent of the criminal deeds of every character in this film is suspect. We cannot help but to empathize with Leonard because we know just by his running narrative as we hear his thoughts that his sincerity and resoluteness is unshakeable, but it is never quite clear how far he has been willing to go see justice incurred. Memento doesn't leave us hanging, but the unanswered questions make for a beautifully dark movie that it pulls you into a sea of uncertain reality. It's not that often that you come across movies with a grip that is as alluring as it is spooky. I have to mention that it is perfectly acted by Guy Pearce and Carrie Anne Moss. And Joe Pantoliano could not have been a better choice. This is a movie that actually better on a second or third watch, because once you have drawn your conclusions, there are plenty of questions to play with, and the mood is so thick you can cut it with a knife!