Memento

Memento has always been a bit of a bummer film for me. Not because I don't like it, but mainly because I knew what the whole "shtick" was long before I saw it. 

It's a film where the magic is a little lost on me because I never really had it in the first place. That's a bummer because it's heralded as one of Christopher Nolan's greats, with some even liking it the most out of all his films. Personally, those statements feel like overpraise for the film, but again, I've seen it twice through the filter of knowing the surprise each time. 

It's a bummer and an unfortunate circumstance of being so late to the party on this one, but there's not much I can do about it. But (!) as much as I tried to keep it out of my thoughts and review, it's hard to not consider it. 

What I find most interesting about Memento, particularly now that I've made my way through Nolan's resume - is how much growth there is between his first film, Following, and this one. Sure, he had more budget to play with, but a lot of other indicators are on display that this new director - with his first mainstream and critical hit - is now one to keep your eye on. It's actually somewhat staggering as the level of confidence and control of a very complex approach to a film feels akin to a jump from a "freshman" to a "senior" in school. Again, it's not surprising in today's lens now that we know Christopher Nolan is The. Man. (#inNolanwetrust), but I imagine back in the day many were blown away by this "first" film from him, not knowing of the one before. 

Memento is also a really fun look into what would make Christopher Nolan well...Christopher Nolan. The non-linear storytelling is ramped up, the twists and turns are all there, and the final moments of plot reveals will have you going "Woah". The man is an expert at taking us on journeys and Memento provides so many early signs of how effective he would utilize these techniques. Which, in a minor side note, makes The Dark Knight trilogy all that more impressive. Nolan mostly skipped over the usual tricks of his trade and crafted straightforward, powerhouse films that feel perhaps the most unique out of his entire film catalog. As you can read, I'm geeking out over how his career has cascaded and going backwards into his films - a non-linear approach, one might say [winky face] - has been immensely entertaining. 

Next tattoo: "No Ragrats!"

As far as the actual movie is concerned, Memento did more for me on a second viewing because I could focus on the filmmaking at hand. Even still, I did have some issues with it. I believe the narrative structure, while highly unique, is over used. If you graph the "parallel" plots out (there's actually a technique to doing this called Fabula vs. Sujet - basically Story Order vs. Plot Order) it seems like overkill. There are upwards of 20(!) instances of back and forth between a black-and-white forward-moving portion of the film and the color-"backwards" ones. To me, it became a lot like a Saturday Night Live joke that goes on for too long where it's great at first but then becomes tiresome. It also causes the film to lose a lot of steam in the middle portion in between a wonderful opening where you're still amazed and an ending where you're invested because the pieces are coming together. And I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I still find Memento damn confusing. It's a film, like most of Nolan's others, that you must pay attention to, but even still it's jumping around so much that it feels like too much. A second viewing helped more here too, but to me it's a sign of opportunities within Nolan's filmmaking to take advantage of storytelling techniques like he does, but also bring the audience along without huge leaps or loss of understanding. Personally, I think Inception is proof that he got much better at this, but I know some would disagree with me. 

If I were to "solve" Memento's problems, I'd have kept nearly everything the same but would have shortened the movie by about 5-10 minutes and extended sequences in each storyline to take up more space. The result is - at least in my opinion - you'd get a less exhausting film, still achieve the same unique narrative structure, and minimize the amount of steam you lose in the middle while only really sacrificing a handful of "a-ha" moments (in a film that has tons of them). 

Guy Pearce, lookin ready to join the next 2000s boy band that pops up

Upon my rewatch, I appreciated it more ignoring the plot twists (since now I knew them of my own accord) and focusing on the story. It's still small-scale Nolan - similar to Following, making Interstellar all the more impressive - but it's an intricate dive into a very, very confused man with mental issues and lapses in memory. There's so much to think about after the credits roll that I'm still trying to wrap my head around exactly what all the consequences are of what we learn in the final frames. It's odd because the ending doesn't hit quite as hard as other Nolan films (or perhaps I had a delayed reaction), but sneaks up on you as you really think about it. All of this is bolstered by lots of "good stuff" from the performances - Pearce in particular looking totally 2000s, the cinematography, and even the original score sans a Hans Zimmer - all play into an effective thriller. It's a carefully concocted film, but wouldn't have added up to much if the basic components of a film didn't come together, but like I mentioned earlier, it's here that Nolan shows tremendous growth in his talent. 

Memento is a lot of people's favorite Christopher Nolan film and I'm sure if I'd seen it when it came out (albeit in an alternative universe where I wasn't a dumb 10 year old at the time!) it would be one of mine too. Knowing the whole premise and outcome really only "ruined" my first viewing and I now can appreciate it for what it is, but I also have the benefit of not being lost in nostalgia, which is a very powerful opinion-driver when it comes to films (I think rightfully so, but others would disagree). Because of that, Memento is a film I really like from a director I love, but where I recognize that some of this other, later films are just that much better.

CONS

• The premise, while highly unique and one of the film's biggest strength's, is overused. 20+ switches back and forth becomes a bit excessive and some are so small you wonder why they're there
• The film loses steam because of it. In the middle there's about 5-10 minutes of "where is this going" that aren't as captivating as its bookends
• Makes the film more confusing that it needs to be
• Probably about 5-10 minutes too long OR the length of each segment should have been extended

PROS

• Highly original concept with exciting execution, despite the Cons mentioned above. Still holds up well 20 years later
• An interesting and captivating plot - particularly in the bookends - that introduces us to a character suffering extreme memory lapses and mental health issues. There's a lot to be revealed over the course of the film and the consequences will have you thinking for some time to come
• Strong performances from all, though especially from a bleach-blonde haired Guy Pearce
• Good cinematography, original score, and excellent editing help this film take a significant leap in quality from Nolan's previous

Retro Rath's Review Score | 8.5/10