Memento (2000)

Memento is unlike any other thriller.

Nolan presents the audience with an unsettling, fractured narrative that leaves us gripping our seats as each scene unfolds in front of us (in a chronologically backwards way), leaving our minds racing to piece together the puzzle.

Intriguing is one way to describe the main character. Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) is a man hell-bent on getting revenge but he’s unable to form any new memories, resorting to Polaroid’s, self-addressed notes and tattoos to guide him on his mission. The story is revealed through Shelby’s point of view so we’re placed to struggle alongside him…until we become painfully aware of the raw reality of Pearce’s deluded character by the end. We’re introduced to a plethora of other characters along the way and reintroduced to them in different lights as the film progresses. Memento is so captivating because Nolan manipulates our allegiances with the characters by giving us small bits of information about each at a time, rather than showing us what their intentions are from the get-go.

Nolan’s artistry within this film is ingenious. It isn’t easy to create a film that pulls its confusing, broken narrative together in a smooth and fluid manner like Nolan does in Memento. He tricks the audience and leads us down all sorts of side paths before reaching the conclusion. In one way, this is what makes it so memorable and impactful.

This film is well worth the watch because of how original it is. Nolan has cemented himself in cinematic history with his imaginative thriller that is Memento!