Review of Memento

Introduction

Guy Pearce and Carrie-Anne Moss star in one of the best films for years. I can only echo the previous reviewers by saying that to explain is to ruin, so it`s best just to sit and watch. A combination of talent from both neighbours and The Matrix may not sound like a match mad in cinematic heaven, but they really do pull it off and give haunting performances.

Video

The anamorphic picture is excellent, with a slightly washed out look that captures the mood of the film superbly. This is a film that you have to watch intensely so it is nice that the image is not painful to the eye.

The colours are sharp where they need to be and the focus is very good, especially in some of the car scenes where a good balance has been struck between foreground and background detail.

There is little if any evidence of noise or dirt on the transfer, so an excellent job has been done on this disc.

Audio

Functional is the best way to describe the 5.1 soundtrack. Vocals are clear and at a good volume, but effects are largely ignored or very sparingly used. There has been little effort to create a background soundtrack to set scenes, just the occasional use of obvious audio extras for on screen events.

The music track is very well suited to the action and style of film.

Features

Extras aplenty, which is nice to see for a region 2 disc. Of course there is the hidden feature of watching the films events in chronological order, instead of through the slightly haphazard workings of Leonard`s mind. This was something that didn`t work for me. It moved the film down to the normal level of B movie tat, not the excellent feature film it is.

There are also trailers, web site material, biographies and interviews which all add up to make a nice package of interesting extras to the main feature.

Conclusion

This is a film to watch and watch again, as you won`t see it all the first time, or even the first few times. I sat there after the first 5 minutes and wondered what I was doing watching this, but the film drags you in and immerses you in the plot.

After you catch the first little clue, which may not be the first actual clue offered, you are glued to the screen looking for more. The viewer is left to work some of the facts out for themselves, which is so much nicer than the oft-repeated spoon fed films that seem to be more commonplace nowadays. No brainers have their place and I am as enthusiastic as the next person to sit down and be entertained by large explosions and Nicholas Cage running through fire in a vest, but it is so refreshing to have to play a part in the film to get the most out of it and engage the grey matter to understand where the writer and director are trying to take you.

An excellent example of modern writing and just goes to prove that not all the ideas have been used up.