#53 Memento

In Summary

Memento is a film about the subjective nature of memory.

Leonard Shelby, an insurance investigator, suffers from a form of amnesia which means he is unable to form new memories. He will forget things within minutes, meaning that he has to rely upon various notes and tattoos to hold onto important information.

The plot of Memento follows Leonard in his attempts to track down the man who killed his wife. The story jumps across various moments in time, creating this disorientating feeling within the audience as they attempt to piece together the various elements of the plot.

Over the course of the film, the reliability of the various pieces of information that Leonard has been left with begin to get taken apart. All of the certainties that the film looked to be building towards are gradually disassembled, even Leonard's own version of his back-story.

Elements of the mystery behind Memento intermittently resolve and unsolve themselves as the film progresses. It is a film that manages to keep the audience guessing right until its final reveal, demonstrating that memory is as much a matter of choice as it is a matter of fact.

A Memorable Quote

I have to believe in a world outside my own mind. I have to believe that my actions still have meaning, even if I can't remember them. I have to believe that when my eyes are closed, the world's still there. Do I believe the world's still there? Is it still out there?

Things You May Not Know

• Director, Christopher Nolan re-dubbed Joe Pantoliano's (Teddy) delivery of the line 'You don't have a clue, you freak!' himself, impersonating the actor's voice.
• It took just over three weeks to shoot this film.
• Aaron Eckhart, Charlie Sheen, and Brad Pitt were all considered for the role of Leonard before Guy Pearce got the part.

One of the Greatest of All Time?
Memento is a nice and tidy piece of filmmaking from a Christopher Nolan at the start of his directing career. Like much of the work Nolan would go on to do, the film is driven by its central concept, rather than by particularly captivating or original characters.

The lack of a charismatic central acting performance makes the film feel a little cold and distant, requiring the audience to buy into the central concept and to be invested in attempting to figure out the individual clues for themselves. If you are willing to get on board with this film, it is a highly rewarding viewing experience.