Review of Memento (2000) by Alec L — 22 Dec 2015

In an age of unnecessary remakes, we'll soon be getting perhaps the most unnecessary. The innovative, low-budget Memento is being remade just fifteen years after its release. The neo-noir psychological thriller follows Leonard Shelby, a man with short-term memory loss as he attempts to find the man who murdered his wife.

Mirroring his amnesia, the film unfolds in reverse chronological order, with one scene ending where the previous began. Memento transcends the detective genre with its puzzle-like structure; a premise that could've easily been gimmicky.

But thanks to Nolan's thoughtful direction and an engaging, tightly-scripted human drama at its heart, Memento not only worked but soared as a truly subversive drama. The way Nolan simulates Leonard's fractured state-of-mind with the reverse structure is unique and captivating, filling the audience with a sense of confusion and paranoia.

As we find out more about what's going on, our perspective and alignment with the characters changes, making for an incredibly immersive and exciting viewing experience that's still effective in 2015.

With dark, intimate character work, excellent performances and an unpredictable script filtered through an innovative structure and a brooding atmospheric punch, Memento is a gritty and stylish film with rare intelligence, wit and spirit.

A mentally-stimulating thriller and compelling mystery on one hand, and a deeply affecting character study on the other, Memento is the first showcase of Nolan's brilliance and is still highly relevant today - which is why a remake is so jarring.

Memento had the impact it did because its unique approach was exactly that; unique. It hadn't been done before, and seeing it done again seems redundant. It was a product of Nolan's trademark inventiveness, and any remake would simply be imitating the narrative devices and stylistic flair of the original.

Nevertheless, one can hope the remake is at least a bearable homage to Nolan's classic. Even if it isn't, Memento will always remain a compelling and challenging, thought-provoking and moving, ambitious and ballsy piece of postmodern filmmaking.