Quartile rating: 8.5/10 · 1 rating
Leonard Shelby is tracking down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The difficulty of locating his wife's killer, however, is compounded by the fact that he suffers from a rare, untreatable form of short-term memory loss. Although he can recall details of life before his accident, Leonard cannot remember what happened fifteen minutes ago, where he's going, or why.
Memento's reverse-chronological structure is one of cinema's most audacious narrative constructions, making the form inseparable from its theme of memory loss — a rare case where gimmick and meaning are perfectly fused. The plot earns a 4 for its intricate, genuinely disorienting puzzle that holds together logically and emotionally. Novelty is a clear 4: Nolan's execution is utterly singular, a one-of-a-kind thriller experience that no other film replicates. The ending — which is actually the beginning — delivers a devastating revelation that recontextualizes everything, earning a 4. Acting is solid but not exceptional; Guy Pearce carries immense weight effectively but the supporting cast (Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano) is competent rather than transcendent. Cinematography is serviceable and purposeful — the color/black-and-white split is clever and functional — but not visually distinguished enough to rank above average for the medium.