Memento – WARNING--You Might Not Like It Augmented 09/08

****Since the majority of readers have only found this review Helpful I have elaborated. (See after original review)****

Memento is recommended by ninety-seven percent of the reviewers at Epinions, at this time. This could lead one to believe, that this is a movie that you just had to see and enjoy. The only reason I am writing this review, is to let the average movie watcher know that Memento is not for everyone. Most of us like to see something entertaining, and somewhat logical and predictable. A bit out of the ordinary can be acceptable at times, but quantum leaps are difficult to digest. Memento is a quantum leap from the norm. That is probably why avid filmologists, who get tired of the regular Hollywood fare, like it so well.

Memento has been described in reviews as:

"out of the ordinary, brilliant concept, devilishly structured noir, confusing, puzzling ending, riveting, powerful, ingenious, mind bending, exhausting, weird, intelligent"

It can all of these and more, and that is exactly why the majority of viewers will not necessarily like it.

I rented Memento due too the great reviews here at Epinions. I was tired when I watched it, and found it marginally satisfying. My wife absolutely hated it. To give a benchmark for comparison, I like fringe movies such as Pulp Fiction, Snatch, and Sci-Fi, she doesn’t.

I recommend you check out some of the brilliant reviews here, they provide all the details, you need to know about Memento.

This Epinion is brief, but it is submitted, as a recommendation, not a technical review.

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ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

The movie starts at the end, and progresses to the beginning in short clips. This is novel and interesting, and is done well here, but still jars the sensibilities.

Lenny, "don’t call me that, that’s what my wife called me" (Guy Pearce), has no short term memory. His memory is supposedly normal up until the time his wife was raped and murdered, and his head was bashed into the bathroom mirror. He is hunting the murderers, but the search is vastly complicated by his condition. To compensate he takes polaroids, notes, and tattoos important facts on his body.

Initially I found the tattoos extreme and bizarre, but then changed my mind. Given his condition, there were two Lennys. The one prior to the accident, and the one after, with "the condition." Since he could no longer remember short term events, the tattoos took on an unusual meaning, with the new Lenny. It was as if exposing the tattoos meant exposing his soul. With no current memories, they were an integral part of him. When seen this way, his tattooed body no longer seemed so stark and odd. I became a natural thing for him.

Interestingly Teddy (Joe Pantoliano) and Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss) both of the "Matrix" are cast in the major supporting rolls. Can Lenny trust Teddy, or does he tell lies? Is Natalie helping him, because she also has lost someone near to her? How can Teddy and Natalie know for sure Lenny is not faking his condition? Who is using whom? These are some of the interesting threads interwoven into the plot.

Teddy tells Lenny, that he is not a murderer, that is why he is so good at it. The question I find interesting is, how would a person that cannot remember have a conscious?

This is a difficult movie to like from an entertainment standpoint, but it can be intriguing and compelling. Some will probably be compelled to view it a second time, to look for clues missed the first time through.

















Recommended:
No

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age