Christopher Nolan is well-known for some great flicks like “Inception,” “Oppenheimer,” “Dunkirk,” and “Interstellar.” Of course, he’s also recognized for one of the best superhero series out there, The Dark Knight trilogy. But one of his earliest movies, made back in 2000, gave us a glimpse at the filmmaker’s budding prowess. Starring Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Joe Pantoliano, Nolan’s “Memento,” is now streaming on HBO Max.
The plot follows Leonard Shelby, played by Pearce, a man without the ability to make new memories. He begins using photographs, Polaroids, notes, and other visual details to track what he knows. The film is non-linear, and bounces around to different experiences and times until the conclusion eventually unfolds, and you realize, along with Shelby, what’s actually going on. It’s really quite clever and also a fresh representation of Nolan’s film style that would grow to become what it is today.
“Memento,” is also one of the few movies on Rotten Tomatoes to hold over 90% scores simultaneously for critics and users alike. It currently has a 93% on the Tomatometer and a 94% on the Popcornmeter, which is impressive, to say the least. That would also make it one of the best movies streaming on HBO Max right now. As one of the reviewers points out, “this movie messed up my brain in the most perfect way it could.”
What else are people saying about the movie?
Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” predicted a scientific breakthrough with black holes, while still being quite entertaining. He didn’t achieve anything as extraordinary with “Memento,” unless you count those aggregated Rotten Tomatoes scores as something of a miracle. But where he did succeed, for most who watch the film, is by captivating his audience. User reviews on IMDb call the film a “genius thriller” or mention that it’s a deep dive and an interesting trip into the psyche of the mind. Others agree that it’s one of the few films out there that is difficult to guess on your first watch.
Not everyone has been totally positive about the experience, however. Some mention that the plot is difficult to follow, likely because it’s chopped up and non-linear. Or, that the conclusion never pays off, and the “snazzy editing” is more of a gimmick than anything. It really may depend on the mood you’re in while watching the film. There’s a lot going on, but action-wise, it’s slow until the pieces of the puzzle start coming together. If the premise doesn’t hook you initially, you might find yourself counting down the minutes until the end. But if you give it a shot, there’s a really good movie in there, and it’s certainly original.
Christopher Nolan has since moved on to some big blockbusters, clearly, but perhaps most exciting is that we finally know what his mysterious new movie, an adaptation of “The Odyssey”, one of Homer’s twin epics.
