Memento - finally saw it - ok, I get it... but WTF? SPOILER

[graller]

The director of Memento has topped it at least once and arguably twice since.

Well the Prestige was truly awesome.

[Joe M.]

Well the Prestige was truly awesome.

Yeah, I still don't know exactly what happened in that movie, and I don't want to know. It's perfect.

[Tyjenks]

Ha! After successfully avoiding spoilers for 8 years, I finally saw this last night. All I have to add is:

I thought it was Sammy Jankis? Jenkins would have been cool though.

[Paul_cze]

I am gonna have to watch it again, for 13th time.Yeah, "remember Sammy Jankis."

[newbrof]

I love that movie, one of the best of recent years... I don't like Nolan's Batman stuff... it's okay, but if you know Memento and Prestige and Insomnia....

[Austin Arlitt]

I listened to the commentary a few weeks ago, and Nolan hints that Leonard writes down Teddy's license plate because Teddy has pushed him too far this time. He doesn't want Teddy manipulating his long-term memory, because that's his most valuable possession. Nolan even comments that the audience is expected to wonder whether the Polaroid of Leonard at the supposed killing of a prior John G was faked.

A few years ago when I first watched this, I thought Teddy's speech at the end was supposed to be true, but I'm no longer convinced. I still think it's clear that Teddy is not the 'real' John G, if such a person exists, but I'm willing to put a little more stock in Leonard's long-term memory. If he's revolting against the lies Teddy feeds him, which are designed to change his memory & guilt him into Teddy's wishes, then I'm not sure that I can pick out any one past as objective truth.

[russellmz00]

I listened to the commentary a few weeks ago, and Nolan hints that Leonard writes down Teddy's license plate because Teddy has pushed him too far this time. He doesn't want Teddy manipulating his long-term memory, because that's his most valuable possession. Nolan even comments that the audience is expected to wonder whether the Polaroid of Leonard at the supposed killing of a prior John G was faked.

i don't know if that is part of it but the commentary has three or four versions where nolan says teddy lies and where teddy doesn't lie.

not only that but the license plate changes!
http://www.christophernolan.net/memento_mem.php

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

IMO, one of the smartest movies I've seen. One thing I particularly appreciate is that the premise seems like a one-shot affair; I doubt I would be impressed if another movie tried to do the same thing now.

[Paul_cze]

It is probably my favourite movie ever made. It has just such a strong atmosphere that even if some ultimate truth could be figured out, that atmosphere would still make it entertaining.

[russellmz00]

IMO, one of the smartest movies I've seen. One thing I particularly appreciate is that the premise seems like a one-shot affair; I doubt I would be impressed if another movie tried to do the same thing now.

i liked this guy's analysis in this thread that memento followed the basic film noir plot:

I think it's important that Teddy's final comments be true, although individual elements in them can certainly be misleading.

The beauty of Memento for me is that while the narrative is backwards, its structure and theme are not. In fact, they are rigidly not-- they conform to standards of the genre (necessarily in my opinion).

Memento is a noir. It starts with a murder, we are presented with a damsel in distress who turns out not to be who she says she is, we are presented with a obvious villain who turns out to be false, we find the real killer under shocking circumstances, and our hero is wearied by the world even more. A fundamental theme in noir is rejection of redemption.

Memento's narrative seems to turn this on its head, but when looked at structurally and themetically, it's not.

We start with a murder-- Leonard murdering Teddy. We then must find out why. It quickly becomes obvious that Leonard is extremely dangerous and open to manipulation, and that someone must have caused him to kill Teddy. So Leonard is the murder weapon, and also the investigator. Neat trick.

We meet the damsel in distress at the proper time. It quickly becomes obvious that she is manipulating Leonard, but it becomes equally obvious that it's too early for her to be the real villain. We're treated to the great sequence where she turns him onto Dodd and Teddy, but left still wondering who the villain can be.

In the final act, we get the reveal. We need another murder to intensify the action, so Leonard kills again. Teddy, who's the only major character left who can be the villain, of course can't be because he's already dead. But Teddy makes a blistering villain speech to Leonard-- and we discover who the killer is: Leonard, as he decides to disbelieve Teddy forever and put himself on that track. And also, not coincidentally, rejecting the redemption that Teddy's speech represents-- which is why it's important for Teddy to be largely telling the truth at the end.

It's an amazing piece of structural work to have a reverse narrative while all the structure and thematic pieces fall into place.

[Omniscia]

I haven't seen this one in a while. I really should watch it again.

My sister borrowed my DVD a while back, to watch with her boyfriend, and they reportedly couldn't make it past 10 or 15 minutes before getting bored and giving up. I am so disappointed.

Also, fuck you, Mike Nelson, and your banner ad at the top of this page. This is yet another film (see also Jaws) that does not need the full Rifftrax treatment.

[Rimbo]

That Kevin Perry comment is pretty damned insightful.

[Cormac]

Here's a timeline of the story!
I really need to rewatch this movie...

Spoiler: breaks H-scroll!

[Paul_cze]

This is my favourite movie of last 12 years. I think I am going to rewatch it myself.

[Relayer71]

Damn, now I need to rewatch it too - been a while so I think I've forgotten the ending (beginning?).

[madkevin]

Rereading this thread again, the most shocking thing I've discovered about Memento is that Tom didn't think Wet Hot American Summer was funny.

[russellmz00]

if someone looked into christopher's nolan mind, how long would it be before they threw up from motion sickness?

[Austin Arlitt]

I now know a John G. He buys me drinks when we sing karaoke, which causes my short-term memory to lapse.

But I'm pretty sure he didn't murder my wife.

[Kevin Perry]

That Kevin Perry comment is pretty damned insightful.

Thanks! Now go play Shadow Watch.

[HighPlainsDrifter]

Ha! After successfully avoiding spoilers for 8 years, I finally saw this last night. All I have to add is:

I thought it was Sammy Jankis? Jenkins would have been cool though.

Pffft, amateur! Successfully avoided spoilers for another two years beyond that!

But, also not much more to add. I don't trust Teddy's lies but there were multiple moments of truth in the reveal at the end.

The film holds up very well. It has a timeless quality.

[habibi]

Ha ha, I rented this movie in iTunes when it was featured as Movie of the Week two weeks ago and boy, how did I miss this movie 10 years ago?

Great stuff. My love for Nolan is rekindled!

What was Natalie's motivation to off Teddy?

[RedTide]

Ha ha, I rented this movie in iTunes when it was featured as Movie of the Week two weeks ago and boy, how did I miss this movie 10 years ago?

Great stuff. My love for Nolan is rekindled!

What was Natalie's motivation to off Teddy?

SPOILERS

Been a while since I saw it, but I don't think she had a motivation to off Teddy. Guy Pearce decides to kill Teddy when he writes down the license plate number, and then he choose to forget about it. Natalie just runs the plates. But, I could definitely be wrong about that, it's probably been over a year since I saw it last.

[habibi]

She knows she could manipulate him to do nasty things to people, that's what she made him do to Dodd. So, the only reason she were so 'helpful' to provide him with Teddy driving license is knowing he will kill him. But why? Because Teddy set Lenny up to kill Natalie's boy friend, the drug dealer Jimmy (shown at the end of the show)?

[Anonymgeist]

While Lenny was the one who actually killed Jimmy, Natalie knows that the reason Lenny did it was that Teddy had set the situation up and manipulated Lenny into it.

By running the plates, she'll be helping kill the man who she believes was ultimately responsible for the death of her boyfriend.

Of course, Lenny had originally written down Teddy's license plate number knowing that eventually he'd follow through the clues, see that Teddy's real name is a "John G", and kill him. She was really only helping move along what Lenny had set in motion.

[habibi]

I have a feeling that Natalie has her own motivations. I doubt it was just revenge for Jimmy. There was a scene where she kept all the pens and openly insulted Lenny. She was showing us (audience) that she could manipulate Lenny too. But what is her motivation? Who gains from Teddy's death?

[HighPlainsDrifter]

I need to track down a chronological re-mix to help make this thing make sense.

[Harkonis]

the dvd had a code you could put in to play it normal order

[Anonymgeist]

I need to track down a chronological re-mix to help make this thing make sense.

The Special Edition dvd has a hidden feature where it plays the movie in chronological order.

[Anonymgeist]

I have a feeling that Natalie has her own motivations. I doubt it was just revenge for Jimmy. There was a scene where she kept all the pens and openly insulted Lenny. She was showing us (audience) that she could manipulate Lenny too. But what is her motivation? Who gains from Teddy's death?

Personally, I'm satisfied with revenge as a motivation, but there's always a matter of the drug money (wasn't it something like $200,000?) that was in the trunk of Jimmy's car....