MOVIE REVIEW: MEMENTO'Memento' still remains one of the best crime thrillers of all time.
By Sal LoCicero | September 10th, 2020
Back in 2000, film enthusiasts and the average moviegoers received a indie film from writer/director Christopher Nolan, called Memento. Memento was just a small independent film from a filmmaker who was not known much to the public back then. Christopher Nolan back in 1998 released a short, budget-less film called Following; which he worked on all by himself with his friends. So, Nolan wasn’t a name that crossed people’s minds then.
When Memento released in theaters, many loved it. It was so different than any movie audiences have been used to seeing. It blew people away. Later on, the movie won many awards at film festivals and it gave Nolan more attention in the film industry.
But that was 20 years ago. Movies have been able to accomplish so much more in the last two decades with storytelling, visual effects, and more.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Memento, and the biggest question is, does it still live up to all of its endless praise that it received back in 2000? The answer is, Absolutely!
20 year later, Memento is still as intriguing, thought-provoking, and mind blowing as it was in 2000. Christopher Nolan sure did prove that he is a filmmaker to look out for in the future. His directing is unbelievable as is his writing for this movie. You can tell when watching Memento that it is nothing like regular movie by any ordinary filmmaker, it is made by someone who goes beyond the limits and tests themselves - which is why Nolan is even more brilliant to this day.
Guy Pearce is great as Leonard Shelby; a man who has short term memory that is trying to find his wife’s killer. The story itself is so original and interesting. The way the whole movie goes about by starting the story from the end and ending at the beginning is fascinating. It makes you as the audience confused yet invested.
The score by David Julyan is so freaking good. The music fits in perfectly. When you listen to the score, it sounds like it is depicting a broken man who’s lost something very personal and is trying to solve a mystery that he is determined to find the answer too, but is difficult for him to do so. David Julyan also composed the score for Nolan’s 3 min short called Doodlebug as well as his 1998 feature Following, and his 2002 feature Insomnia - which all have the same emotional and mysterious tone as Memento.
The ending of Memento is really shocking (and you won’t see it coming). It changes the way you think about the movie as well as how you viewed the story and the characters. Once the credits begin to roll, you will still be thinking about the movie and how it all comes together; just like an unsolved puzzle.
Grade: A+
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