Memento
Cast
Guy Pearce as Leonard Shelby
Joe Pantoliano as Teddy
Carrie-Anne Moss as Natalie
Mark Boone Junior as Burt
Stephen Tobolowsky as Sammy Jankins
Director is Christopher Nolan
Rater #2 has review and Description.
Rater #1
Has not seen movie.
Rater #2
8/10. "My wife used to call me Lenny. I hated it," Leonard Shelby (Guy
Pearce) tells anyone who'll listen about his wife, who was killed.
He's looking for the killer and raper, whose name, as he found out
somehow, is John G. You don't really want to know much else about the
movie, because finding out is half the fun. Oh yeah, Lenny has no
short term memory, so he forgets everything he just learned in about
ten minutes.
Joe Pantoliano plays Teddy, a character who always jumps out at
Lenny. But is he really Lenny's friend or is he manipulating him?
Carrie-Anne Moss plays Natalie, a compassionate friend who has also
lost someone. But is she really Lenny's friend or is she manipulating
him?
Memento is a really great movie. It unravels backwards so you learn
information along with Lenny. Once you see it that way, other movies
look weird because they're played in chronological order. It juggles
with real time and regular set, with real time in black and white and
Lenny talking to someone on the phone.
Joe Pantoliano is really great, even though he doesn't really have
much seriousness in the movie. He's mainly there for comic relief.
Guy Pearce does a break-out role (sort of), even though he's already
a name. I liked Carrie-Anne Moss, she was terrific. Stephen
Tobolowsky, as Sammy Jankis, a man Lenny helped out when he used to
be an insurance investigator who had the same problem, although
however small, was very good. Was this the same guy who said "sure as
heckfire" in Groundhog Day?
The plot wasn't anything new in terms of actual plot. The side-
information (memory loss, etc.) was something I have never seen or
heard of in cinema. But since when did you leave the theater (or your
couch) scratching your head at a movie that didn't jumble lots of
symbolism (*cough* Mulholland Drive *cough*) in with a screwed-up
story? If you look at it realistically, it makes perfect sense (kind
of). I'm not making any sense, am I?
Beware the director's commentary on the Limited Edition DVD, director
Christopher Null is very drab and boring and doesn't really offer
much information. However, it does have four(!) endings. And I
wouldn't really suggest buying (or renting) the LE DVD because it has
some information about the ending on the box and DVD.
Memento is a very cool un-Hollywood movie that has some thrills,
great acting, and a new idea for movie makers.
MY TAKE ON THE MOVIE:
Obviously, this is going to have SPOILERS, so don't read ahead unless
you've seen the movie.
Teddy told the truth to Lenny at the end of the movie. He is a cop,
and Lenny killed the real John G. Teddy and Jimmy were on the same
line, but only Teddy talked. Jimmy was corrupt and Teddy wanted him
killed. Natalie wanted Dodd killed because he was involved with
Jimmy, but Lenny didn't kill Dodd. Lenny killed his wife instead of
Sammy Jankis, the "remember Sammy Jankis" tattoo was to remind
himself that he thought that Lenny himself didn't kill his own wife.
The "I've done it" tattoo in the end of the movie was after he killed
the real John G. He wanted himself to forget it so he got it removed.
However, Teddy said Jimmy told him to go to the Discount Inn, even
though Teddy himself told him to go. Maybe Jimmy and Teddy were drug
dealers together and Jimmy turned on Teddy, so Teddy wanted Jimmy
killed but Teddy still liked the Discount Inn.
OK, this is what I think, post what you think on the message board.
Rater #3
Has Not Seen Movie.
Rater #4
Has not seen movie.
Rater R for Language.
Running time: 113 minutes
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