Being a huge fan of director Christopher Nolan I feel a bit ashamed that I hadn't viewed this movie sooner. Hearing the universal appraises and the cult following it had gained in the mid-2000's excited me but I had never gotten the chance to sit down and watch this movie. Luckily enough I found a copy and this movie BLEW ME AWAY.
I won't be delving into this review like I do many others because giving you the slightest hint at what the story is and how the story is told will likely detract your experience when you first see the film. First and foremost though, Christopher Nolan is easily one of the best directors of this generation, the pure passion that he pours into his films is noticeable in each and every one. With 'Memento' you feel like an experienced director led this project, but this was only Nolan's SECOND film! During the entirety of 'Memento' you notice just how much of a grip Nolan had on this film and just how hard he tried to make it a great classic of the 21st century.
Phenomenal would be an understatement to describe Guy Pearce's performance. He does such a magnificent job and it may be one of the best lead performances Nolan has ever gotten out of an actor. I can't imagine anyone else other than Pearce in this role and that goes a long way.
My one gripe with this film is that the gimmick they use to tell the story in 'Memento' wears thin and loses some of it's magic at about the halfway point. Early on you are so confused but so amazed at the route they took to tell you this story, but later on you're sitting there just saying,"eh, it's lost it's touch." That doesn't detract from this experience at all, each little plot point holds such significance and when you're sitting there guessing from the beginning until the credits are done rolling that means a film like this has served it's purpose.
In all actuality 'Memento' might just be Christopher Nolan's most complete work yet, but it's hard to say when he has two other near perfect films in 'The Dark Knight' and 'Inception'. This film is the complete package for a film going experience and although the gimmick wears a bit thin, 'Memento' is a must-see movie if you want to further your title of being a film buff.
I give 'Memento' a 9.3/10