Indie Gems: Memento

Christopher Nolan: Fucking with your mind, one day at a time.

I wish I could say Memento was the first time I was introduced to director Christopher Nolan, but it wasn't. However when I did get around to seeing it I realized he was so much more than just "the guy that rebooted Batman." And because of films like Memento, he's become one of my favorite directors today.

Leonard (Guy Pearce) wakes in a motel room up unable to form new memories. The last thing he remembers his is wife dying. He kills one of her attackers, but the other strikes him in the head. Now he needs to find the man who killed her, and his body is tattooed full of notes. The story flips back and forth between color and black and white. The black and white sequences are in chronolocial order, the colored ones in reverse.

When ever people say they hate movies that they had to "pay attention to" I always recommended Memento. Just because I think that statement is pretty ridiculous, don't you want any surprises in the films you watch? I will hand it to the film makers, Memento can be really hard to follow at times, but it is so interesting and captivating that you can't look away. The ending would normally annoy most viewers, but this is typical Nolan, and you know what? He doesn't have to tell you what he's thinking. He just wants his movie to linger in your thoughts as well.

Recommended: Yes

Grade: A

Memorable Quote: "What's the last thing you remember?" - Natalie (Carrie Anne Moss)