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Actors: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Memento |
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Memento is an awe inspiring, although sometimes confusing, murder mystery. It tells the story of Leonard Shelby, a man after one thing: revenge for his wife. However, he is substantially slowed in his quest because of his rare disability: anterior grade memory loss. This causes the film to be presented in a way that lets you experience events like Leonard does and makes you piece together subtle clues in order to unravel the truth.
--Finache, Resident Scholar
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MEMENTO is a movie written and directed by Christopher Nolan in 2000. It won the Saturn award in the best action/adventure/thriller film category.
Suffering from a very rare syndrome - the loss of the short-term memory - Guy Pearce is nonetheless trying to find the man who raped and killed his wife.
--Daniel Staebler, Resident Scholar
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Leonard suffered from a rare short-term memory loss, he couldn't remebered anything that just happened 10 minutes ago,thus he used tattos to help him track down his wife's killer and also his memories.
--Jenny, Resident Scholar
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Leonard Shelby, an insurance investigator, suffered a heavy blow to the head and lost his ability to hold onto short-term memories: He can remember his wife was raped, he knows she died, and he can remember everything about his life before that time, but he forgets every new event and conversation within minutes. So how can he catch his wife's murderer? He takes photos of people and places with a Polaroid 690, writes notes on the prints, and has the most important facts tattooed on his body in the hope that eventually he will be able to piece everything together. Natalie (Moss) is a bartender who says she can help him, and a cop named Teddy (Joe Pantoliano) may be his ally or his enemy. This riveting film bears close attention, and maybe even more than one viewing, because most of the story is told in reverse: We see the most recent events first, and then steadily step back through time to learn how it all came about. Pearce, who held his own opposite Spacey and Russell Crowe as Lt. Exley in "L.A. Confidential," underplays beautifully in this astounding story.
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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Guy has NO short term memory, he can't make new memories. The last thing he rembers is his wife's murder. He tatoos himself to remember to facts he learns and to track down the murderer.
--tofer, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Memento |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Movie
Actual chase scenes or violence - 20%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How difficult to spot villain?
- Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
- Difficult, but some clues given
- Story partially from villain's perspective
Time/Era of Movie:
- 1980's-1999
Murder Mystery?
Yes
What % of story relates directly
to the mystery, not the subplot?
- 10%
- 50%
- 70%
- 90%
Murders of set profession?
- criminals
Misc. Plotlets
- local police have IQ of houseplant
Special suspect?
- investigator him/herself
- amnesiatic
Kind of mystery?
- amateur citizen investigator
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Eccentric:
Yes
- eccentric
- obsessed
- deluded
- emotionally unstable
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- blonde
Hair style
- short/standard straight (man)
Body type
- average (man)
- muscular (man)
Unclothed?
- Chest
Events of movie makes character more...
- aggressive
- sad
- tougher
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair color
- brunette (Black)
Hair style
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn, straight
Body type
- very skinny (woman)
Unclothed?
- very tight clothes
How much in movie?
- 40%
- 60%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- police/lawman
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 60%
Body type
- average (man)
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- West
- Midwest
- California
City?
Yes
City:
- Los Angeles
- Dirty, grimy (like New York)
Misc setting
- resort/hotel
- building
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- gory visuals of deaths
Movie makes you feel...
- in awe
- all mixed up
How many deaths in film?
- 3-4
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references only
- kissing
Kind of violence:
- guns
Unusual forms of death
- perforation--bullets
Any profanity?
- Some foul language
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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