The Citizen Review " A man goes to the movies. A critic must be honest enough to admit that he is that man." -Robert Warshow

"Memento"

By Jack Meriwether, 7/27/2010

Christopher Nolan is the master of the unknown, the dark and the ominous and real-life dramas that tie all these elements together. So why does his early thriller Memento not work as well as his great films like The Dark Knight, The Prestige or Inception? Let me list the ways.

The first reason is the principle character, Leonard Shelby, played by Guy Pearce. Pearce turns out a good performance, that's not the issue, the issue is that it's very difficult to find this character very likable. He, like all of Nolan's male protagonists, has issues. His was was brutally raped and murdered and he has short-term memory loss, so his situation is reset every 15 minutes or so. We'll get to that part later.

So he has issues, just like many Nolan characters, but he treats his differently. He seems almost to not care about the fact that he has short-term memory loss, which maybe comes with the territory, but maybe that's why the main character is impossible to pull off.

The other problem is with the fact-based part of this film. If Leonard Shelby says the last thing he remembers is his wife dying, then how does he remember every time his mind resets that he has short term memory loss and that he is trying to find his wife's killer? He has notes and tattoos on his body to remind him of his intent but he doesn't read these every time. So does he have selective memory loss? That seems like a gaping hole too big to ignore.

The film is also told backwards. Yes. This is merely a plot device in order to reveal the plot twist in an intriguing way. Is it completely necessary? No. It is interesting for a couple of flashbacks but I eventually found myself getting bored. I think that the twist at the end is good. It is believable and not the norm with these types of psychological thrillers.

The other good things about this film: the performances are well-done, the conversations are well thought out, the artistry is all there. But towards the end, the engine seems to loose a lot of steam and the short-term memory loss and flashback aspects get tiresome. Overall, Memento isn't Nolan's strongest film but it's interesting and unconventional and would most likely be enjoyed by most psychological thriller junkies and Chris Nolan die-hards.