Memento Review: A Mystery Told Backwards
9/10 — Memento (2000)
Pros
- Ingenious reverse structure
- Guy Pearce's performance
- Rewards repeat viewing
Cons
- Demanding on first viewing
- Emotionally cool
Leonard, who can’t form new memories after an attack, uses notes, photos and tattoos to hunt his wife’s killer. Christopher Nolan tells the story in reverse, so the audience is as disoriented as Leonard.
What works
The structure is genuinely ingenious, with black-and-white scenes running forwards intercut with colour scenes running back, and it’s a puzzle that rewards repeat viewings. Guy Pearce is excellent, and Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano are suitably ambiguous.
Where it falters
It can be hard work on a first watch, and the story’s emotional pull is a little cold.
Verdict
A clever, haunting thriller that cemented Nolan as a major talent.
