Nolan Cook
The Broadside
If you are a fan of dark crime mysteries where you will be kept guessing throughout the film, then Memento is a perfect movie for you.
This movie is so good that it’s difficult to accurately do it justice. It’s directing, acting, and plot are all flawless. About the only minor complaint I have is the sound editing which is a very minor complaint. I would have preferred a larger, more inclusive soundtrack but that flaw is so utterly irrelevant compared to the genius that is this film.
It’s American film noir at it’s finest. Film noir is French for “black film”, and with it’s black-and-white tones and plot that is always taut with intensity (both mental and physical), the film fits the definition of “film noir” perfectly.
Synopsis
The chronology of the film has two different timelines which are separated in sets of black-and-white sequences and color sequences. The black-and-white sections are told in chronological order, where Leonard converses with an unknown caller (in more than one way). The second set of sequences is in color which is the real time investigation of Leonard, which is not in chronological order, but instead played in reverse. This keeps the viewer always guessing, and gives a sense of what Leonard has to deal with daily. The viewer finds out that Leonard has anterograde amnesia, a neurological condition which prevents him from creating new memories. The most interesting part of this movie is that it really tries to make the movie from Leonard’s perspective so the chronological series of events is atypical to a normal movie.
The movie eventually ties it all up at the end of the movie, and it does so gracefully. There are no questions left to answer besides the one’s Leonard asks about his own life at the end of the film. His questions probe not only into his own difficult life, but shows us that our own lives are difficult. That we all produce answers to questions that are difficult to answer, even when the answers are not true. That making up answers is more comfortable than not having any.
A very entertaining and engrossing film. A must-see for mystery/crime drama fans.
Nolan cook can be reached at [email protected]