Memento (2000)

Director:

Christopher Nolan

Writers:

Jonathan Nolan (short story "Memento Mori")
Christopher Nolan (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 October 2000 (France)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Some memories are best forgotten

Plot:

A man, suffering from short-term memory loss, uses notes and tattoos to hunt for the man he thinks killed his wife.

Plot Keywords:

Shirtless Male | Barechested | One Word Title | Short Term Memory Loss | Diabetes

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 42 wins & 32 nominations

Cast

Guy Pearce	...	Leonard
Carrie-Anne Moss	...	Natalie
Joe Pantoliano	...	Teddy Gammell
Mark Boone Junior	...	Burt
Russ Fega	...	Waiter
Jorja Fox	...	Leonard's Wife
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Sammy
Harriet Sansom Harris	...	Mrs. Jankis
Thomas Lennon	...	Doctor
Callum Keith Rennie	...	Dodd
Kimberly Campbell	...	Blonde
Marianne Muellerleile	...	Tattooist
Larry Holden	...	Jimmy

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and some drug content.

Runtime:

113 min | Turkey:107 min (TV version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | Netherlands:16 | USA:R (certificate #37211) | Iceland:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Brazil:16 | Canada:14A | Chile:14 | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:15 (re-rating) | Ireland:18 (original rating) | Japan:PG-12 | Mexico:B | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Singapore:PG (censored version) | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Newmarket Capital Group

Trivia:

In the reversed opening scene, the footage of the shell casing reversing is really writer/director Christopher Nolan blowing on it, since it would have been too difficult to try to get the shell casing in a close-up view as it hit the ground, while keeping the camera still. In order to get a better looking scene in reverse, they didn't simply film it forward and reverse it in editing. They actually fed the film through in reverse, making a crisper picture. However, this specific shot was not meant to be filmed in reverse. It was done accidentally, and so they had to, in editing, reverse it. That means it's a shot of a simulated reversal, recorded backwards, and then manually reversed to get the desired effect.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Leonard burns Catherine's hairbrush in the fire. you can see that Catherine's book is also burning next to it before Leonard has put it into the fire.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Leonard Shelby: [voiceover] So where are you? You're in some motel room. You just - you just wake up and you're in - in a motel room. There's the key. It feels like maybe it's just the first time you've been there, but perhaps you've been there for a week, three months. It's - it's kind of hard to say. I don't - I don't know. It's just an anonymous room.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in One Minutes (2008)

Soundtrack:

Generation Z

Addictive and fun to figure out

Christopher Nolan's "Memento" is truly a rare and exceptional achievement in modern filmmaking in that it manages to be new, fresh, hip, and exciting without ever tiring its audience out - unless you're walking into this film without the desire to participate and actively analyze the mysterious details.

If that's the case, then this is DEFINITELY not a movie you should see. If, on the other hand, you are open-minded, creative, and alert, you'll definitely appreciate and get a kick out of this one. "Memento" is an old-fashioned "film noir"-type mystery thriller with an intriguing, ingenious twist: outfitting the entire film with a style that mirrors the protagonist's own mental condition while giving the poor viewer(s) his own perspective as well. It is masterfully filmed and edited in such a way that it is chronologically presented backwards (with two initially separate, parallel storylines - the main one, shot in colour, is the chronologically-backwards story with scenes that intercut with those of the other story, which is filmed more like a documentary, shot in black & white, and mostly takes place inside a motel room with the main character narrating, talking about the effects of his condition, etc.) While the average viewer may already be put off by such a complicated, confusing format, it is a very original premise that is well worth the struggle to figure out.

Acting is solid across the board, as is the writing, directing, etc., but special kudos must be extended to the very talented editor Dody Dorn, who successfully managed to put all of these fragments together and help them flow in a smooth, healthy manner that is not easy to pull off.

One of the most "memorable" (sorry, couldn't help slipping in the bad joke) films you're likely to ever see, "Memento" is an instant classic due to its groundbreaking narrative style and impressive dramatic undertones. For those jaded moviegoers who seek something to keep them awake, interested, and constantly thinking, there couldn't be a better choice than this film.