Memento
Starring:Guy Pearce, Joe Pantoliano
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD
Editorial Review:
Amazon.com essential video
Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) and Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix) shine in this absolute stunner of a movie. Memento combines a bold, mind-bending script with compelling action and virtuoso performances. Pearce plays Leonard Shelby, hunting down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The problem is that "the incident" that robbed Leonard of his wife also stole his ability to make new memories. Unable to retain a location, a face, or a new clue on his own, Leonard continues his search with the help of notes, Polaroids, and even homemade tattoos for vital information.
Because of his condition, Leonard essentially lives his life in short, present-tense segments, with no clear idea of what's just happened to him. That's where Memento gets really interesting; the story begins at the end, and the movie jumps backward in 10-minute segments. The suspense of the movie lies not in discovering what happens, but in finding out why it happened. Amazingly, the movie achieves edge-of-your-seat excitement even as it moves backward in time, and it keeps the mind hopping as cause and effect are pieced together.
Pearce captures Leonard perfectly, conveying both the tragic romance of his quest and his wry humor in dealing with his condition. He is bolstered by several excellent supporting players, and the movie is all but stolen from him by Pantoliano, who delivers an amazing performance as Teddy, the guy who may or may not be on his side. Memento has an intriguing structure and even meditations on the nature of perception and meaning of life if you go looking for them, but it also functions just as well as a completely absorbing thriller. It's rare to find a movie this exciting with so much intelligence behind it. --Ali Davis
Average customer rating:
- You may want to watch it twice
- Meeker Review
- I never thought this could be done
- Intriguing
- Memento: The Freshmaker!
|
Memento
Starring: Jr. Mark Boone , Russ Fega , Jorja Fox , Joe Pantoliano , and Stephen Tobolowsky
Director: Christopher Nolan
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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- Requiem for a Dream (Edited Version)
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- The Usual Suspects (Special Edition)
- Donnie Darko - The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)
- Pulp Fiction (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
ASIN: B00003CXZ4
Release Date: 2001-09-04 |
Amazon.com essential video
Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) and Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix) shine in this absolute stunner of a movie. Memento combines a bold, mind-bending script with compelling action and virtuoso performances. Pearce plays Leonard Shelby, hunting down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The problem is that "the incident" that robbed Leonard of his wife also stole his ability to make new memories. Unable to retain a location, a face, or a new clue on his own, Leonard continues his search with the help of notes, Polaroids, and even homemade tattoos for vital information.
Because of his condition, Leonard essentially lives his life in short, present-tense segments, with no clear idea of what's just happened to him. That's where Memento gets really interesting; the story begins at the end, and the movie jumps backward in 10-minute segments. The suspense of the movie lies not in discovering what happens, but in finding out why it happened. Amazingly, the movie achieves edge-of-your-seat excitement even as it moves backward in time, and it keeps the mind hopping as cause and effect are pieced together.
Pearce captures Leonard perfectly, conveying both the tragic romance of his quest and his wry humor in dealing with his condition. He is bolstered by several excellent supporting players, and the movie is all but stolen from him by Pantoliano, who delivers an amazing performance as Teddy, the guy who may or may not be on his side. Memento has an intriguing structure and even meditations on the nature of perception and meaning of life if you go looking for them, but it also functions just as well as a completely absorbing thriller. It's rare to find a movie this exciting with so much intelligence behind it. --Ali Davis
Customer Reviews:
You may want to watch it twice.......2007-05-23
Every so often, there's a movie where the hero has amnesia. Even with amnesia, a person can establish an identity in a few weeks, judge new people and surroundings, and function. In addition, such movie heroes are easy to identify with, because the audience seems to know as much as the hero.
Well, in this movie, our hero has the opposite problem, an inability to make new memories. And that kind of problem is indeed rare, and it merits some discussion.
What would you do if you couldn't form new memories? Well, you would probably be institutionalized, or cared for by family or friends. Without that, it would be important to be in familiar surroundings as much as possible, ones you would remember. You would remember your old house, your old car, and, of course, your old acquaintances. But you would not remember new possessions or friends. And you would be totally lost in a new town, while in your old one, you would know where your friends' houses were, where your bank was, where the restaurants were, and so on.
You would need to avoid strangers. And you would need a way to take notes, read and understand those notes, and keep a rough diary. Probably you would need to trust a few friends to keep a few key documents and help you update them occasionally. And you would also need a safety deposit box for notes, diary entries, money (even with a bank account, a safety deposit box would be very useful), and so forth.
The key problems would be taking notes, figuring out how to make sure you could and would read and understand those notes, going on "missions" (even a short errand would be a major event), and keeping your privacy.
For any important task, you would almost surely need to be backed up by a trusted friend, known by you from back when you were able to make memories. That friend would need to be with you at such occasions or as a minimum constantly available by phone.
You could write cryptic notes that only you could decipher, using your earlier memories. But it would be hard to be sure just what secrets you had divulged. Basically, you could keep your ideas private only by making sure nobody else saw them. And that would be tricky. That's one more place where a safety deposit box could help somewhat.
I'm writing all this in order to explain just how weird the situation is for our hero in this movie, who is basically, um, "open loop," and cut off from almost everything that is familiar. It's a fascinating and suspenseful movie, but one can see that the hero is at a tremendous disadvantage.
On the other hand, there are some things the hero knows quite well, and that makes the movie work. Rather than offer a spoiler, let me just say that I highly recommend it.
Meeker Review.......2007-05-12
This movie was great! Absolutely crazy but awesome at the same time. You have to pay attention to what happens because the plot goes from past to present alot but its a great movie. You'll enjoy.
I never thought this could be done.......2007-05-08
Time goes backwards but the plot goes forwards.
I think that only because of its unique structure, this movie would deserve 5 stars.
Appart from that, the production, acting, scripting, filming, etc. are very good.
Intriguing.......2007-04-27
Memento is a remarkable, one of a kind film that bears (and probably requires) multiple viewing. This film is utterly fascinating for its ability to put the viewer into someone else's head.
The DVD packaging is a bit too clever for those who just want the movie and supporting features, but it is well worth having.
Memento: The Freshmaker!.......2007-04-14
Having recently seen and enjoyed "The Lookout", another film which features a character trying to piece together his life after a traumatic head injury leaves him memory-challenged, I was inspired to go back and see its cinematic sire of sorts - the now-classic mindwarp that is Memento. And though I bought this DVD when it was released and had watched it twice (which is the minimum number of recommended viewings for this film), it's just collected dust for five years and I hadn't returned to it since.
Aptly enough, I had forgotten much of it, making much of Memento seem newly fresh yet oddly familiar, much like most of its main character Leonard's daily doings. Leonard, as we pretty much all know by now, is trying to get revenge for the killing of his wife, which is made somewhat more challenging (to say the least) by the fact that he suffers from extreme short-term memory loss and can't remember any more than ten minutes at a time. As Leonard himself will tell almost anyone he meets: "I can't make new memories - everything fades."
All of which would in itself make for an interesting movie. But what makes this film truly ingenious is the way it is constructed and edited. You know, one of my dearly-departed favorite author Kurt Vonnegut's Eight Rules for Writing Fiction is: "start as close to the end as possible." Well, Memento takes this rule - written by one of the ultimate storytellers - and pushes it to its extreme, actually starting AT the end and then working backwards - which makes for one of the all-time greatest stories.
Now, a lot of movies that are assembled in this kind of non-linear time-jumpy kind of way are gimmicky to a fault, and confusing for no good reason. But in Memento, this style of editing actually serves the story and makes it better, because - by showing us Leonard's perpetually-perplexing world out of sequence - it forces us to experience the movie in the same disoriented way that Leonard experiences the world. So as Leonard puzzles his way through his life, so do we. This makes us empathize and connect with the film's central character in a way few other movies have ever been able to achieve before or since (whichever way you happen to travel through time in your search). Of course, the fact the Guy Pearce's performance is so riveting helps us enormously with our empathy as well.
Anyway, there are about a thousand (or so) other reviews here that will tell you more about what happens in the movie, but I think that this story - more than most - relies on the surprise that each new/past detail reveals, so I don't want to ruin any of this film's revelations if you are lucky enough to be contemplating seeing this movie for the first time.
And if you are considering watching this picture for the first time (or even if you've already seen it), I would definitely encourage you to buy this DVD. Because the great thing about owning a movie like Memento, as my experience will attest, is that it rewards multiple viewings. And the depth and the detail (in addition to the design) of the film ensure that each viewing is made fresh with new insight and understanding.
In the end, Memento is so much more than just a non-linear, well-crafted crime thriller. It's also an exploration of what makes up a person's identity, and an examination of the malleability of experience. Ultimately, Memento shows us how all our memories are fallible, and - to some degree - we all have to use devices like Leonard uses to remember things: whether it's jotting down phone numbers, taking pictures on our vacations, or (in my case just now) watching a DVD to remind you of all the things you loved about a movie in the first place.
Average customer rating:
- You may want to watch it twice
- Meeker Review
- I never thought this could be done
- Intriguing
- Memento: The Freshmaker!
|
Memento (Widescreen Two-Disc Limited Edition)
Starring: Guy Pearce , Carrie-Anne Moss , Joe Pantoliano , Mark Boone Junior , and Russ Fega
Director: Christopher Nolan
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
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Similar Items:
- Requiem for a Dream (Edited Version)
- Seven (New Line Platinum Series)
- The Usual Suspects (Special Edition)
- Donnie Darko - The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)
- Pulp Fiction (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
ASIN: B0000640SA
Release Date: 2002-05-21 |
Amazon.com essential video
Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) and Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix) shine in this absolute stunner of a movie. Memento combines a bold, mind-bending script with compelling action and virtuoso performances. Pearce plays Leonard Shelby, hunting down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The problem is that "the incident" that robbed Leonard of his wife also stole his ability to make new memories. Unable to retain a location, a face, or a new clue on his own, Leonard continues his search with the help of notes, Polaroids, and even homemade tattoos for vital information.
Because of his condition, Leonard essentially lives his life in short, present-tense segments, with no clear idea of what's just happened to him. That's where Memento gets really interesting; the story begins at the end, and the movie jumps backward in 10-minute segments. The suspense of the movie lies not in discovering what happens, but in finding out why it happened. Amazingly, the movie achieves edge-of-your-seat excitement even as it moves backward in time, and it keeps the mind hopping as cause and effect are pieced together.
Pearce captures Leonard perfectly, conveying both the tragic romance of his quest and his wry humor in dealing with his condition. He is bolstered by several excellent supporting players, and the movie is all but stolen from him by Pantoliano, who delivers an amazing performance as Teddy, the guy who may or may not be on his side. Memento has an intriguing structure and even meditations on the nature of perception and meaning of life if you go looking for them, but it also functions just as well as a completely absorbing thriller. It's rare to find a movie this exciting with so much intelligence behind it. --Ali Davis
Customer Reviews:
You may want to watch it twice.......2007-05-23
Every so often, there's a movie where the hero has amnesia. Even with amnesia, a person can establish an identity in a few weeks, judge new people and surroundings, and function. In addition, such movie heroes are easy to identify with, because the audience seems to know as much as the hero.
Well, in this movie, our hero has the opposite problem, an inability to make new memories. And that kind of problem is indeed rare, and it merits some discussion.
What would you do if you couldn't form new memories? Well, you would probably be institutionalized, or cared for by family or friends. Without that, it would be important to be in familiar surroundings as much as possible, ones you would remember. You would remember your old house, your old car, and, of course, your old acquaintances. But you would not remember new possessions or friends. And you would be totally lost in a new town, while in your old one, you would know where your friends' houses were, where your bank was, where the restaurants were, and so on.
You would need to avoid strangers. And you would need a way to take notes, read and understand those notes, and keep a rough diary. Probably you would need to trust a few friends to keep a few key documents and help you update them occasionally. And you would also need a safety deposit box for notes, diary entries, money (even with a bank account, a safety deposit box would be very useful), and so forth.
The key problems would be taking notes, figuring out how to make sure you could and would read and understand those notes, going on "missions" (even a short errand would be a major event), and keeping your privacy.
For any important task, you would almost surely need to be backed up by a trusted friend, known by you from back when you were able to make memories. That friend would need to be with you at such occasions or as a minimum constantly available by phone.
You could write cryptic notes that only you could decipher, using your earlier memories. But it would be hard to be sure just what secrets you had divulged. Basically, you could keep your ideas private only by making sure nobody else saw them. And that would be tricky. That's one more place where a safety deposit box could help somewhat.
I'm writing all this in order to explain just how weird the situation is for our hero in this movie, who is basically, um, "open loop," and cut off from almost everything that is familiar. It's a fascinating and suspenseful movie, but one can see that the hero is at a tremendous disadvantage.
On the other hand, there are some things the hero knows quite well, and that makes the movie work. Rather than offer a spoiler, let me just say that I highly recommend it.
Meeker Review.......2007-05-12
This movie was great! Absolutely crazy but awesome at the same time. You have to pay attention to what happens because the plot goes from past to present alot but its a great movie. You'll enjoy.
I never thought this could be done.......2007-05-08
Time goes backwards but the plot goes forwards.
I think that only because of its unique structure, this movie would deserve 5 stars.
Appart from that, the production, acting, scripting, filming, etc. are very good.
Intriguing.......2007-04-27
Memento is a remarkable, one of a kind film that bears (and probably requires) multiple viewing. This film is utterly fascinating for its ability to put the viewer into someone else's head.
The DVD packaging is a bit too clever for those who just want the movie and supporting features, but it is well worth having.
Memento: The Freshmaker!.......2007-04-14
Having recently seen and enjoyed "The Lookout", another film which features a character trying to piece together his life after a traumatic head injury leaves him memory-challenged, I was inspired to go back and see its cinematic sire of sorts - the now-classic mindwarp that is Memento. And though I bought this DVD when it was released and had watched it twice (which is the minimum number of recommended viewings for this film), it's just collected dust for five years and I hadn't returned to it since.
Aptly enough, I had forgotten much of it, making much of Memento seem newly fresh yet oddly familiar, much like most of its main character Leonard's daily doings. Leonard, as we pretty much all know by now, is trying to get revenge for the killing of his wife, which is made somewhat more challenging (to say the least) by the fact that he suffers from extreme short-term memory loss and can't remember any more than ten minutes at a time. As Leonard himself will tell almost anyone he meets: "I can't make new memories - everything fades."
All of which would in itself make for an interesting movie. But what makes this film truly ingenious is the way it is constructed and edited. You know, one of my dearly-departed favorite author Kurt Vonnegut's Eight Rules for Writing Fiction is: "start as close to the end as possible." Well, Memento takes this rule - written by one of the ultimate storytellers - and pushes it to its extreme, actually starting AT the end and then working backwards - which makes for one of the all-time greatest stories.
Now, a lot of movies that are assembled in this kind of non-linear time-jumpy kind of way are gimmicky to a fault, and confusing for no good reason. But in Memento, this style of editing actually serves the story and makes it better, because - by showing us Leonard's perpetually-perplexing world out of sequence - it forces us to experience the movie in the same disoriented way that Leonard experiences the world. So as Leonard puzzles his way through his life, so do we. This makes us empathize and connect with the film's central character in a way few other movies have ever been able to achieve before or since (whichever way you happen to travel through time in your search). Of course, the fact the Guy Pearce's performance is so riveting helps us enormously with our empathy as well.
Anyway, there are about a thousand (or so) other reviews here that will tell you more about what happens in the movie, but I think that this story - more than most - relies on the surprise that each new/past detail reveals, so I don't want to ruin any of this film's revelations if you are lucky enough to be contemplating seeing this movie for the first time.
And if you are considering watching this picture for the first time (or even if you've already seen it), I would definitely encourage you to buy this DVD. Because the great thing about owning a movie like Memento, as my experience will attest, is that it rewards multiple viewings. And the depth and the detail (in addition to the design) of the film ensure that each viewing is made fresh with new insight and understanding.
In the end, Memento is so much more than just a non-linear, well-crafted crime thriller. It's also an exploration of what makes up a person's identity, and an examination of the malleability of experience. Ultimately, Memento shows us how all our memories are fallible, and - to some degree - we all have to use devices like Leonard uses to remember things: whether it's jotting down phone numbers, taking pictures on our vacations, or (in my case just now) watching a DVD to remind you of all the things you loved about a movie in the first place.
Average customer rating:
- Mind Numbing, Great entertainment!!
- Well Worth The 20 Bucks
|
Memento (Blu-Ray)
Starring: Guy Pearce , and Carrie-Anne Moss
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
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- Black Hawk Down [Blu-ray]
- Casino Royale [Blu-ray]
- Pirates of the Caribbean - The Curse of the Black Pearl [Blu-ray]
- The Departed [Blu-ray]
- Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest [Blu-ray]
ASIN: B000FJGWBM
Release Date: 2006-08-15 |
Customer Reviews:
Mind Numbing, Great entertainment!!.......2007-05-18
Memento (Blu-Ray)Memento's been out for a while, but for newcomers and especially on blu-ray it warrants itself the purchase. The storytelling is being presented to us in Reverse-Chronological order, the way it spills its plot and the story's characters scene by scene is an achievement in movie making which is an amazing thrill to enjoy watching this film! MUST BUY!!
Well Worth The 20 Bucks.......2007-02-16
If you like the pulp fiction style of jumping around alot and not being able to predict the ending, then you'll like this movie. Also, I thought it was one of the better quality Blu-Ray transfers that I've seen so far.
Average customer rating:
|
Memento Mori
Starring: Kim Min-seong , and Lee Seong-jin
Director: Kim Tae Yeon
Manufacturer: Tartan Video
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- Whispering Corridors
- Wishing Stairs
- Whispering Corridors
- Wishing Stairs
- H
ASIN: B000FZEQFK
Release Date: 2005-04-12 |
Customer Reviews:
it was ok...................2007-06-08
descent suspense movie but it tends to center a little around the troubled relationship between the two girls more than anything. i know this is what causes the ghost but it just got a little boring at times. i enjoyed watching the girl who found the diary go insane from time to time :o) also when the ghost finally shows up she goes to each girl who hurt her and killed them (it doesn't actually show anything).
Average customer rating:
- Not a horror movie
- Compared to 'Wishing Stairs', this is worth seeing only as a curiosity.
- My favorite Korean movie!
- More A Drama With Some Horror: Will Appeal To Some!
- Memento Mori
|
Memento Mori
Starring: Kim Min-seong , and Lee Seong-jin
Director: Kim Tae Yeon
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ASIN: B0007R4TLC
Release Date: 2005-04-12 |
Description
Min-Ah discovers a shared diary and is soon fascinated to learn that two people she thought to be very close friends have in fact begun a forbidden romance at her school. She finds herself unable to tear her eyes away from the literally page-turning high drama of her classmates' lives, and the allure of the secret diary begins to take over. When one of the diary's writers is found dead from an apparent suicide, rumors spread and Min-Ah begins to feel a strange presence. The once-tranquil school is transformed into a place of morbid terror, as if the words written in the journal, "memento mori" (remember the dead), have come to life.
Customer Reviews:
Not a horror movie .......2007-05-08
I'm pretty sure there are very few korean films with a focus on a lesbian couple... Considering that, the movie is enjoyable with good acting and a sweet little hidden relationship that turns dark. For me, most asian movies tend to have their moments but never really tie it together in the end... In this case it feels like there could have been more, something more full circle. ***THE KICKER is that some scenes were cut out of the movie, including a bathtub scene, But there is a (Korean ver. only) 6-disc special edition of this movie available for about $49-60 online with many extras and special packaging which I DO give five stars.
Compared to 'Wishing Stairs', this is worth seeing only as a curiosity........2007-05-07
The good news: there isn't a vengeful black-haired female ghost walking on all fours and filmed backwards to scare you.
The bad news: if you're a veteran of 'K' or 'J' horror, this only intrigues as being a stepping stone along the way to American mainstream acceptance of such films.
'Wishing Stairs' was a better written movie, in my opinion. Granted, it's the last movie of this cycle (so far). The acting and directing of Memento Mori are both standouts, but I fast-forwarded through a lot. I found it boring, and the ending had a middling neat twist, but not enough to make me want to keep this DVD.
I'd recommend The Eye or Wishing Stairs as alternatives if you haven't seen them yet.
My favorite Korean movie!.......2007-03-26
Memento Mori (Remember the Death) is a great horror flick. I would love to go to school for all girls in SK. Anyway, I just wanted to say that this movie is a must see! Buy it!
More A Drama With Some Horror: Will Appeal To Some!.......2007-02-21
As others have mentioned in their reviews, "Memento Mori," is the second of a three part Korean trilogy: which are in no way related to each other. The first being "Whispering Corridors," and concluding with "Wishing Stairs." I agree with the viewer below [EVAN HARRIS] that this film would have been better served had it remained a drama. However, the film was not; and thus lost what I believe would have been a better film. Nonetheless, some viewers may like this film. The film is more-or-less a drama with horror thrown into the film. Not heavy horror however.
The film centers on a student named Min-ah (Min-sun Kim) who happens to find a diary in her girls school. When Min-ah reads the diary she discovers that there is a love relationship between two of the schools' students: Hyo-shin (Yeh-jin Park) and Shi-eun (Young-jin Park). Also, one of these young women will commit suicide on the day Min-ah discovers this diary. Learning much about the relationship between these two students, Min-ah is pulled into her own little nightmare. The diary has some of sort of a hold on Min-ah; and the films narrative is told in flashbacks as she reads this very colorful diary.
Moreover, the films story relates the relationship and love affair between Hyo-shin and Shi-eun; and Min-ah discovers what exactly drove Hyo-shin to commit suicide. We see the love these two students have, and what they share with each other. Personally, I really did not think this was a great film as many have. It was an average film, definitely not horror, however, it may appeal to some viewers. I really believe this film would have been better served as a drama had it not included the horror element that the director and screenwriters decided to go with. I recommend the film with caution. Rent it first. It's not bad, but it's not very good either.
Memento Mori.......2007-02-21
Whispering corridors was credited with being the beginning of the Asian ghost story boom, it was an extremely successful movie in it's native Korea, so like any American horror movie a sequel was guaranteed. Unlike most American horror movies(except maybe Halloween 3, but who pretends that turd exists anyway?) it really has barely anything to do with the original- enter Memento Mori(remember the dead). This is part of a trilogy ending with The Wishing Stairs that only have in common the fact that they all involve ghosts and all take place at all girls schools. Other than that, they have different casts,plots,directors, best boys, whatever. The setting makes for intriguing insights and if Wishing Stairs continues in this vein(I haven't seen it yet) Im excited to see what new angles to humanity at large it has to discuss. Whispering corridors toyed with the notions of friendship and authority, Memento Mori goes further by exploring sexual confusion and love. Presenting an unorthodox relationship in an extremly orthodox place. As a drama, it exceeds Corridors, as horror it mostly falls flat.
The story focuses first on Min-ah, a young, popular school girl who follows the status quo of doing what would be considered cool until she stumbles upon the diary of two of her fellow students(the boyish Yoo Shi-eun and the sultry Min yo-shin) and upon reading, discovers the two are secret lovers. The story of how the girls became lovers is told in flashback and thats how the audience gets to know the characters mostly. Min yo-shin has a secret that nearly destroys her relationship with Yoo shi-eun, but the real nail in the coffin of their young love is pounded in when the girls mutually decide to "come out" so to speak, but Yoo shi-eun doesnt have the courage and turns her back on Min yo-shin, leading to a series of events that fall somewhere in the realm of whispering corridors and Carrie.
The film itself frustrated me greatly in that I think it would have served itself better as a drama. Most of the Ghost action takes place an hour into the film and only a few of the scares once all hell breaks lose register. What made this movie for me was the way the girls relationship is portrayed. It has a delicacy and a sympathy with the main characters that doesnt cheapen or betray the love story as alot of gay -themed movies tend to do. The fact that these girls are lesbians only really gets mentioned once, in all other references, it's an afterthought. Their relationship is shown as pure and innocent. They are simply two people in love and these scenes show a depth and an understanding of trying to keep a relationship together under difficult circumstances. The film goes above and beyond Whispering corridors as far as honestly portraying characters with depth and the conflicts young people face with a welcomed lack of preachiness and the performances hold the film together showing noone as two dimensional. If it would have stuck to that, it would have been perfect, but this being an entry into the school girl asian horror trilogy, the story turns into the classic ghost revenge story towards the end and that's where it lost me a little. Dont get me wrong, the first few scare moments really do work and any revenge tale is fun to watch, but as the film rose to a huge climax, it lost some of the emotional intensity that it had been building. Min-ah's role in all of this was tantalizing though as you begin to wonder (along with her) if she's falling in love with Yoo shi-eun. No questions are answered easily and that's fine, but as the movie climaxes, the chill factor steadily diminishes and this segment is the only point at which whispering corridors is the better movie. Its climax kept the creepy vibe going and also held onto the emotional sensitivity it had established where Mori loses its grip a little in trying to have its cake and eat it too.
Bottom line, this film is a beautiful look at love, relationships and rejection in a society that considers it all taboo, but slips a bit when it turns to full fledged ghost story. Its still recommendable though just for the sake of seeing a young couple rendered with such respect and sensitivity.
Average customer rating:
- Double feature that should be sold cheap.
- Jarring and Terrific!
- memento/dogma
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ASIN: B0000640SD
Release Date: 2002-05-21 |
Amazon.com
Memento
Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) and Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix) shine in this absolute stunner of a movie. Memento combines a bold, mind-bending script with compelling action and virtuoso performances. Pearce plays Leonard Shelby, hunting down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The problem is that "the incident" that robbed Leonard of his wife also stole his ability to make new memories. Unable to retain a location, a face, or a new clue on his own, Leonard continues his search with the help of notes, Polaroids, and even homemade tattoos for vital information. Because of his condition, Leonard essentially lives his life in short, present-tense segments, with no clear idea of what's just happened to him. That's where Memento gets really interesting; the story begins at the end, and the movie jumps backward in 10-minute segments. The suspense of the movie lies not in discovering what happens, but in finding out why it happened. Amazingly, the movie achieves edge-of-your-seat excitement even as it moves backward in time, and it keeps the mind hopping as cause and effect are pieced together. Pearce captures Leonard perfectly, conveying both the tragic romance of his quest and his wry humor in dealing with his condition. He is bolstered by several excellent supporting players, and the movie is all but stolen from him by Pantoliano, who delivers an amazing performance as Teddy, the guy who may or may not be on his side. Memento has an intriguing structure and even meditations on the nature of perception and meaning of life if you go looking for them, but it also functions just as well as a completely absorbing thriller. It's rare to find a movie this exciting with so much intelligence behind it. --Ali Davis
Dogma
Kevin Smith is a conundrum of a filmmaker: he's a writer with brilliant, clever ideas who can't set up a simple shot to save his life. It was fine back when Smith was making low-budget films like Clerks and Chasing Amy, both of which had an amiable, grungy feel to them, but now that he's a rising director who's attracting top talent and tackling bigger themes, it might behoove him to polish his filmmaking. That's the main problem with Dogma--it's an ambitious, funny, aggressively intelligent film about modern-day religion, but while Smith's writing has matured significantly (anyone who thinks he's not topnotch should take a look at Chasing Amy), his direction hasn't. It's too bad, because Dogma is ripe for near-classic status in its theological satire, which is hardly as blasphemous as the protests that greeted the movie would lead you to believe. Two banished angels (Ben Affleck and Matt Damon) have discovered a loophole that would allow them back into heaven; problem is, they'd destroy civilization in the process by proving God fallible. It's up to Bethany (Linda Fiorentino), a lapsed Catholic who works in an abortion clinic, to save the day, with some help from two so-called prophets (Smith and Jason Mewes, as their perennial characters Jay and Silent Bob), the heretofore unknown 13th apostle (Chris Rock), and a sexy, heavenly muse (the sublime Salma Hayek, who almost single-handedly steals the film). In some ways Dogma is a shaggy dog of a road movie--which hits a comic peak when Affleck and Fiorentino banter drunkenly on a train to New Jersey, not realizing they're mortal enemies--and segues into a comedy-action flick as the vengeful angels (who have a taste for blood) try to make their way into heaven. Smith's cast is exceptional--with Fiorentino lending a sardonic gravity to the proceedings, and Jason Lee smirking evilly as the horned devil Azrael--and the film shuffles good-naturedly to its climax (featuring Alanis Morissette as a beatifically silent God), but it just looks so unrelentingly... subpar. Credit Smith with being a daring writer but a less-than-stellar director. --Mark Englehart
Customer Reviews:
Double feature that should be sold cheap........2006-06-24
I think its better if you get these two movies seperate where you could find both these movies for a lower price, both these films are brilliant by the way however I'm not sure what the special features are since I have these films on VHS which I ordered from Amazon back in 2001. Momento is about a guy named Leonard (Guy Pearce) who is suffering from severe short term memory loss after an attack which left his wife raped and murdered. Now he wants to know why his wife was killed and hes out for revenge, the film has a reverse narrative thats very original and I would describe the film as a noir style thriller where the lead character has to follow clues by having tatoos all over his body or leaving little notes. The film also stars Carrie Ann Moss and Joe Pantaliano who were both in the Matrix and the script was excellent and was very complex it will deffinetely screw with your head, its one of my favorites directed by Christopher Nolan 5/5.
Dogma is a very wierd but funny comedy about Catholic mythology and religion done by Kevin Smith, it has the typical yet hilarious dialogue that only Kevin Smith could write. The film is about two fallen angels Ben Affleck and Matt Damon as Bartleby and Loki they have been banned from heaven and now they plan to sneak back into heaven and they do evil things like killing people and stuff but this plan will also result in the destruction of the universe so its up to Bethany played by Linda Fiorentino and Jay and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes) to stop them before its to late. The film also has Alan Rickman and Chris Rock as the 13th disciple who was written out of the bible cause hes black, there were many laugh out loud scenes in this film and you shouldn't take this film to seriously you might end up enjoying this afterall atleast it was better than that awful jersey girl 4/5. Overall this double feature is good but the price is to high from Amazon.....
Jarring and Terrific!.......2003-07-06
I went from horrified to enthralled to completely hooked on this off-the-wall religious satire. The cast is marvelous, the storyline inventive, and the entire idea brain-breaking in the extreme for those of us who grew up in a strictly religious household. I LOVED it!
memento/dogma.......2002-04-25
if you are a true kevin smith fan you have got to get this
Average customer rating:
- Both are great films
- Excellent Movie to Have
- Two Extremely Good Movies From Director Christopher Nolan
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Memento / Following
Starring: Jeremy Theobald , Alex Haw , Lucy Russell , John Nolan , and Dick Bradsell
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ASIN: B0000640SE
Release Date: 2002-05-21 |
Amazon.com
Memento
Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) and Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix) shine in this absolute stunner of a movie. Memento combines a bold, mind-bending script with compelling action and virtuoso performances. Pearce plays Leonard Shelby, hunting down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The problem is that "the incident" that robbed Leonard of his wife also stole his ability to make new memories. Unable to retain a location, a face, or a new clue on his own, Leonard continues his search with the help of notes, Polaroids, and even homemade tattoos for vital information. Because of his condition, Leonard essentially lives his life in short, present-tense segments, with no clear idea of what's just happened to him. That's where Memento gets really interesting; the story begins at the end, and the movie jumps backward in 10-minute segments. The suspense of the movie lies not in discovering what happens, but in finding out why it happened. Amazingly, the movie achieves edge-of-your-seat excitement even as it moves backward in time, and it keeps the mind hopping as cause and effect are pieced together. Pearce captures Leonard perfectly, conveying both the tragic romance of his quest and his wry humor in dealing with his condition. He is bolstered by several excellent supporting players, and the movie is all but stolen from him by Pantoliano, who delivers an amazing performance as Teddy, the guy who may or may not be on his side. Memento has an intriguing structure and even meditations on the nature of perception and meaning of life if you go looking for them, but it also functions just as well as a completely absorbing thriller. It's rare to find a movie this exciting with so much intelligence behind it. --Ali Davis
Following
Creepy intimacy, plenty of suspense, and a few surprises enliven this black-and-white treat from the director of Memento. Bill is a struggling writer who fills his time and mind by following random strangers he sees on the street. After breaking his own rule ("never follow the same person twice") he becomes fascinated by Cobb, a voyeur who takes things one step further--actually breaking into people's homes to sift through their things. As you might expect, the relationship soon becomes unhealthy. Writer-director Christopher Nolan already reveals a sure hand in this early neo-noir work. Like Memento, Following toys with timelines, jumping back and forth and carefully dropping bits of information exactly when they're needed. Short and sharp, Following features an intriguing plot line and fine, understated performances by the entire cast. Don't miss it. --Ali Davis
Customer Reviews:
Both are great films.......2007-04-03
MEMENTO is one of my favorite films. Seeing Chris Nolan's earlier and equally intricate storyline in FOLLOWING is highly enjoyable. That film is definitely worth seeing on its own merits.
Excellent Movie to Have.......2006-11-09
It is fun to watch this movie scene by scene backwards: starting from the last scene to the first.
Two Extremely Good Movies From Director Christopher Nolan.......2003-04-16
In this package, you will receive both of Christopher Nolan's cult masterpieces. Both are very entertaining and stylistic, impressing the audience on several different levels. They are visually appealing, dramatically appealing, and each has an underlying aura or premise which will draw you in even further.
Memento is the more commonly hailed of these two, and might be classified as "mainstream." Guy Pierce plays a man with a rare disease, which disallows him to form new memories. Since his accident, he has been unable to withold "new" knowledge for more than approximately five minutes. Yeah, it sounds kinda silly and far-fetched, but it's the key to the movie, and a testament to Nolan's genius. Pierce is determined to uncover the mystery behind his wife's death, while dealing with this terribly inconvenient disease. The audience will be fascinated by his shift in lifestyle, which includes having to write continuous notes to himself, many of which are tatooed to his skin. It's also very interesting to bear witness to how easily this character is taken advantage of, and all the strange events which play out as result of his condition. Of course, there is also another nice little touch, which is, of course...The movie is shown in reverse-chronological order. We're shown a scene, and then immediately after, we'll be shown another scene which actually came before the previous scene, chronologically. As one might expect, this can get terribly confusing, but it's also fun and suspenseful. Certainly one of the most notable movies you'll see, with a great ending.
Following is much more subtle than Memento, relying on atmosphere, acting and filming style to propel its obscure plot. Artsier in nature, this one is entirely in black-and-white, and has only three characters majorly involved in the main story. We follow a lonely, slightly insane man as he "follows" various people around the city. One day, he meets up with another "follower," and they come together as a team, robbing houses. Of course, they're not really robbing them for the material sake--they each get an emotional fix out of taking something intimate from someone's household. Naturally, the plot thickens when a female comes into the equation. Up until the last half hour, the movie comes across as simply a poignant, quirky drama about the twisted hobby of two men. However, it turns into something not unlike Memento, when the director plants a few amazing surprises which are bound to leave your mind stimulated. In my opinion, only a hair under the quality of Memento, and still well-worth watching.
![Memento [Region 2]](http://g-ec2.images-amazon.com/images/I/21GAMTPBCRL.jpg)
Average customer rating:
- You may want to watch it twice
- Meeker Review
- I never thought this could be done
- Intriguing
- Memento: The Freshmaker!
|
Memento [Region 2]
Starring: Guy Pearce , Carrie-Anne Moss , Joe Pantoliano , Mark Boone Junior , and Russ Fega
Director: Christopher Nolan
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ASIN: B00005UMYY |
Amazon.com essential video
Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) and Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix) shine in this absolute stunner of a movie. Memento combines a bold, mind-bending script with compelling action and virtuoso performances. Pearce plays Leonard Shelby, hunting down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The problem is that "the incident" that robbed Leonard of his wife also stole his ability to make new memories. Unable to retain a location, a face, or a new clue on his own, Leonard continues his search with the help of notes, Polaroids, and even homemade tattoos for vital information.
Because of his condition, Leonard essentially lives his life in short, present-tense segments, with no clear idea of what's just happened to him. That's where Memento gets really interesting; the story begins at the end, and the movie jumps backward in 10-minute segments. The suspense of the movie lies not in discovering what happens, but in finding out why it happened. Amazingly, the movie achieves edge-of-your-seat excitement even as it moves backward in time, and it keeps the mind hopping as cause and effect are pieced together.
Pearce captures Leonard perfectly, conveying both the tragic romance of his quest and his wry humor in dealing with his condition. He is bolstered by several excellent supporting players, and the movie is all but stolen from him by Pantoliano, who delivers an amazing performance as Teddy, the guy who may or may not be on his side. Memento has an intriguing structure and even meditations on the nature of perception and meaning of life if you go looking for them, but it also functions just as well as a completely absorbing thriller. It's rare to find a movie this exciting with so much intelligence behind it. --Ali Davis
Customer Reviews:
You may want to watch it twice.......2007-05-23
Every so often, there's a movie where the hero has amnesia. Even with amnesia, a person can establish an identity in a few weeks, judge new people and surroundings, and function. In addition, such movie heroes are easy to identify with, because the audience seems to know as much as the hero.
Well, in this movie, our hero has the opposite problem, an inability to make new memories. And that kind of problem is indeed rare, and it merits some discussion.
What would you do if you couldn't form new memories? Well, you would probably be institutionalized, or cared for by family or friends. Without that, it would be important to be in familiar surroundings as much as possible, ones you would remember. You would remember your old house, your old car, and, of course, your old acquaintances. But you would not remember new possessions or friends. And you would be totally lost in a new town, while in your old one, you would know where your friends' houses were, where your bank was, where the restaurants were, and so on.
You would need to avoid strangers. And you would need a way to take notes, read and understand those notes, and keep a rough diary. Probably you would need to trust a few friends to keep a few key documents and help you update them occasionally. And you would also need a safety deposit box for notes, diary entries, money (even with a bank account, a safety deposit box would be very useful), and so forth.
The key problems would be taking notes, figuring out how to make sure you could and would read and understand those notes, going on "missions" (even a short errand would be a major event), and keeping your privacy.
For any important task, you would almost surely need to be backed up by a trusted friend, known by you from back when you were able to make memories. That friend would need to be with you at such occasions or as a minimum constantly available by phone.
You could write cryptic notes that only you could decipher, using your earlier memories. But it would be hard to be sure just what secrets you had divulged. Basically, you could keep your ideas private only by making sure nobody else saw them. And that would be tricky. That's one more place where a safety deposit box could help somewhat.
I'm writing all this in order to explain just how weird the situation is for our hero in this movie, who is basically, um, "open loop," and cut off from almost everything that is familiar. It's a fascinating and suspenseful movie, but one can see that the hero is at a tremendous disadvantage.
On the other hand, there are some things the hero knows quite well, and that makes the movie work. Rather than offer a spoiler, let me just say that I highly recommend it.
Meeker Review.......2007-05-12
This movie was great! Absolutely crazy but awesome at the same time. You have to pay attention to what happens because the plot goes from past to present alot but its a great movie. You'll enjoy.
I never thought this could be done.......2007-05-08
Time goes backwards but the plot goes forwards.
I think that only because of its unique structure, this movie would deserve 5 stars.
Appart from that, the production, acting, scripting, filming, etc. are very good.
Intriguing.......2007-04-27
Memento is a remarkable, one of a kind film that bears (and probably requires) multiple viewing. This film is utterly fascinating for its ability to put the viewer into someone else's head.
The DVD packaging is a bit too clever for those who just want the movie and supporting features, but it is well worth having.
Memento: The Freshmaker!.......2007-04-14
Having recently seen and enjoyed "The Lookout", another film which features a character trying to piece together his life after a traumatic head injury leaves him memory-challenged, I was inspired to go back and see its cinematic sire of sorts - the now-classic mindwarp that is Memento. And though I bought this DVD when it was released and had watched it twice (which is the minimum number of recommended viewings for this film), it's just collected dust for five years and I hadn't returned to it since.
Aptly enough, I had forgotten much of it, making much of Memento seem newly fresh yet oddly familiar, much like most of its main character Leonard's daily doings. Leonard, as we pretty much all know by now, is trying to get revenge for the killing of his wife, which is made somewhat more challenging (to say the least) by the fact that he suffers from extreme short-term memory loss and can't remember any more than ten minutes at a time. As Leonard himself will tell almost anyone he meets: "I can't make new memories - everything fades."
All of which would in itself make for an interesting movie. But what makes this film truly ingenious is the way it is constructed and edited. You know, one of my dearly-departed favorite author Kurt Vonnegut's Eight Rules for Writing Fiction is: "start as close to the end as possible." Well, Memento takes this rule - written by one of the ultimate storytellers - and pushes it to its extreme, actually starting AT the end and then working backwards - which makes for one of the all-time greatest stories.
Now, a lot of movies that are assembled in this kind of non-linear time-jumpy kind of way are gimmicky to a fault, and confusing for no good reason. But in Memento, this style of editing actually serves the story and makes it better, because - by showing us Leonard's perpetually-perplexing world out of sequence - it forces us to experience the movie in the same disoriented way that Leonard experiences the world. So as Leonard puzzles his way through his life, so do we. This makes us empathize and connect with the film's central character in a way few other movies have ever been able to achieve before or since (whichever way you happen to travel through time in your search). Of course, the fact the Guy Pearce's performance is so riveting helps us enormously with our empathy as well.
Anyway, there are about a thousand (or so) other reviews here that will tell you more about what happens in the movie, but I think that this story - more than most - relies on the surprise that each new/past detail reveals, so I don't want to ruin any of this film's revelations if you are lucky enough to be contemplating seeing this movie for the first time.
And if you are considering watching this picture for the first time (or even if you've already seen it), I would definitely encourage you to buy this DVD. Because the great thing about owning a movie like Memento, as my experience will attest, is that it rewards multiple viewings. And the depth and the detail (in addition to the design) of the film ensure that each viewing is made fresh with new insight and understanding.
In the end, Memento is so much more than just a non-linear, well-crafted crime thriller. It's also an exploration of what makes up a person's identity, and an examination of the malleability of experience. Ultimately, Memento shows us how all our memories are fallible, and - to some degree - we all have to use devices like Leonard uses to remember things: whether it's jotting down phone numbers, taking pictures on our vacations, or (in my case just now) watching a DVD to remind you of all the things you loved about a movie in the first place.
Average customer rating:
- You may want to watch it twice
- Meeker Review
- I never thought this could be done
- Intriguing
- Memento: The Freshmaker!
|
Memento
Starring: Guy Pearce , Carrie-Anne Moss , Joe Pantoliano , Mark Boone Junior , and Russ Fega
Director: Christopher Nolan
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Similar Items:
- Requiem for a Dream (Edited Version)
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- The Usual Suspects (Special Edition)
- Donnie Darko - The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)
- Pulp Fiction (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
ASIN: B000065KIA |
Amazon.com essential video
Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) and Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix) shine in this absolute stunner of a movie. Memento combines a bold, mind-bending script with compelling action and virtuoso performances. Pearce plays Leonard Shelby, hunting down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The problem is that "the incident" that robbed Leonard of his wife also stole his ability to make new memories. Unable to retain a location, a face, or a new clue on his own, Leonard continues his search with the help of notes, Polaroids, and even homemade tattoos for vital information.
Because of his condition, Leonard essentially lives his life in short, present-tense segments, with no clear idea of what's just happened to him. That's where Memento gets really interesting; the story begins at the end, and the movie jumps backward in 10-minute segments. The suspense of the movie lies not in discovering what happens, but in finding out why it happened. Amazingly, the movie achieves edge-of-your-seat excitement even as it moves backward in time, and it keeps the mind hopping as cause and effect are pieced together.
Pearce captures Leonard perfectly, conveying both the tragic romance of his quest and his wry humor in dealing with his condition. He is bolstered by several excellent supporting players, and the movie is all but stolen from him by Pantoliano, who delivers an amazing performance as Teddy, the guy who may or may not be on his side. Memento has an intriguing structure and even meditations on the nature of perception and meaning of life if you go looking for them, but it also functions just as well as a completely absorbing thriller. It's rare to find a movie this exciting with so much intelligence behind it. --Ali Davis
Customer Reviews:
You may want to watch it twice.......2007-05-23
Every so often, there's a movie where the hero has amnesia. Even with amnesia, a person can establish an identity in a few weeks, judge new people and surroundings, and function. In addition, such movie heroes are easy to identify with, because the audience seems to know as much as the hero.
Well, in this movie, our hero has the opposite problem, an inability to make new memories. And that kind of problem is indeed rare, and it merits some discussion.
What would you do if you couldn't form new memories? Well, you would probably be institutionalized, or cared for by family or friends. Without that, it would be important to be in familiar surroundings as much as possible, ones you would remember. You would remember your old house, your old car, and, of course, your old acquaintances. But you would not remember new possessions or friends. And you would be totally lost in a new town, while in your old one, you would know where your friends' houses were, where your bank was, where the restaurants were, and so on.
You would need to avoid strangers. And you would need a way to take notes, read and understand those notes, and keep a rough diary. Probably you would need to trust a few friends to keep a few key documents and help you update them occasionally. And you would also need a safety deposit box for notes, diary entries, money (even with a bank account, a safety deposit box would be very useful), and so forth.
The key problems would be taking notes, figuring out how to make sure you could and would read and understand those notes, going on "missions" (even a short errand would be a major event), and keeping your privacy.
For any important task, you would almost surely need to be backed up by a trusted friend, known by you from back when you were able to make memories. That friend would need to be with you at such occasions or as a minimum constantly available by phone.
You could write cryptic notes that only you could decipher, using your earlier memories. But it would be hard to be sure just what secrets you had divulged. Basically, you could keep your ideas private only by making sure nobody else saw them. And that would be tricky. That's one more place where a safety deposit box could help somewhat.
I'm writing all this in order to explain just how weird the situation is for our hero in this movie, who is basically, um, "open loop," and cut off from almost everything that is familiar. It's a fascinating and suspenseful movie, but one can see that the hero is at a tremendous disadvantage.
On the other hand, there are some things the hero knows quite well, and that makes the movie work. Rather than offer a spoiler, let me just say that I highly recommend it.
Meeker Review.......2007-05-12
This movie was great! Absolutely crazy but awesome at the same time. You have to pay attention to what happens because the plot goes from past to present alot but its a great movie. You'll enjoy.
I never thought this could be done.......2007-05-08
Time goes backwards but the plot goes forwards.
I think that only because of its unique structure, this movie would deserve 5 stars.
Appart from that, the production, acting, scripting, filming, etc. are very good.
Intriguing.......2007-04-27
Memento is a remarkable, one of a kind film that bears (and probably requires) multiple viewing. This film is utterly fascinating for its ability to put the viewer into someone else's head.
The DVD packaging is a bit too clever for those who just want the movie and supporting features, but it is well worth having.
Memento: The Freshmaker!.......2007-04-14
Having recently seen and enjoyed "The Lookout", another film which features a character trying to piece together his life after a traumatic head injury leaves him memory-challenged, I was inspired to go back and see its cinematic sire of sorts - the now-classic mindwarp that is Memento. And though I bought this DVD when it was released and had watched it twice (which is the minimum number of recommended viewings for this film), it's just collected dust for five years and I hadn't returned to it since.
Aptly enough, I had forgotten much of it, making much of Memento seem newly fresh yet oddly familiar, much like most of its main character Leonard's daily doings. Leonard, as we pretty much all know by now, is trying to get revenge for the killing of his wife, which is made somewhat more challenging (to say the least) by the fact that he suffers from extreme short-term memory loss and can't remember any more than ten minutes at a time. As Leonard himself will tell almost anyone he meets: "I can't make new memories - everything fades."
All of which would in itself make for an interesting movie. But what makes this film truly ingenious is the way it is constructed and edited. You know, one of my dearly-departed favorite author Kurt Vonnegut's Eight Rules for Writing Fiction is: "start as close to the end as possible." Well, Memento takes this rule - written by one of the ultimate storytellers - and pushes it to its extreme, actually starting AT the end and then working backwards - which makes for one of the all-time greatest stories.
Now, a lot of movies that are assembled in this kind of non-linear time-jumpy kind of way are gimmicky to a fault, and confusing for no good reason. But in Memento, this style of editing actually serves the story and makes it better, because - by showing us Leonard's perpetually-perplexing world out of sequence - it forces us to experience the movie in the same disoriented way that Leonard experiences the world. So as Leonard puzzles his way through his life, so do we. This makes us empathize and connect with the film's central character in a way few other movies have ever been able to achieve before or since (whichever way you happen to travel through time in your search). Of course, the fact the Guy Pearce's performance is so riveting helps us enormously with our empathy as well.
Anyway, there are about a thousand (or so) other reviews here that will tell you more about what happens in the movie, but I think that this story - more than most - relies on the surprise that each new/past detail reveals, so I don't want to ruin any of this film's revelations if you are lucky enough to be contemplating seeing this movie for the first time.
And if you are considering watching this picture for the first time (or even if you've already seen it), I would definitely encourage you to buy this DVD. Because the great thing about owning a movie like Memento, as my experience will attest, is that it rewards multiple viewings. And the depth and the detail (in addition to the design) of the film ensure that each viewing is made fresh with new insight and understanding.
In the end, Memento is so much more than just a non-linear, well-crafted crime thriller. It's also an exploration of what makes up a person's identity, and an examination of the malleability of experience. Ultimately, Memento shows us how all our memories are fallible, and - to some degree - we all have to use devices like Leonard uses to remember things: whether it's jotting down phone numbers, taking pictures on our vacations, or (in my case just now) watching a DVD to remind you of all the things you loved about a movie in the first place.
Average customer rating:
- You may want to watch it twice
- Meeker Review
- I never thought this could be done
- Intriguing
- Memento: The Freshmaker!
|
Memento [Region 2]
Starring: Guy Pearce , Carrie-Anne Moss , Joe Pantoliano , Mark Boone Junior , and Russ Fega
Director: Christopher Nolan
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
Thrillers
| Mystery & Suspense
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| Mystery & Suspense
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Muellerleile, Marianne
| ( M )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Pantoliano, Joe
| ( P )
| Actors & Actresses
| Stores
| DVD
| Video
Pearce, Guy
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| Actors & Actresses
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Rennie, Callum Keith
| ( R )
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Tobolowsky, Stephen
| ( T )
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| African American Cinema
| Animation
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Similar Items:
- Requiem for a Dream (Edited Version)
- Seven (New Line Platinum Series)
- The Usual Suspects (Special Edition)
- Donnie Darko - The Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition)
- Pulp Fiction (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
ASIN: B00005NONQ |
Amazon.com essential video
Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) and Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix) shine in this absolute stunner of a movie. Memento combines a bold, mind-bending script with compelling action and virtuoso performances. Pearce plays Leonard Shelby, hunting down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The problem is that "the incident" that robbed Leonard of his wife also stole his ability to make new memories. Unable to retain a location, a face, or a new clue on his own, Leonard continues his search with the help of notes, Polaroids, and even homemade tattoos for vital information.
Because of his condition, Leonard essentially lives his life in short, present-tense segments, with no clear idea of what's just happened to him. That's where Memento gets really interesting; the story begins at the end, and the movie jumps backward in 10-minute segments. The suspense of the movie lies not in discovering what happens, but in finding out why it happened. Amazingly, the movie achieves edge-of-your-seat excitement even as it moves backward in time, and it keeps the mind hopping as cause and effect are pieced together.
Pearce captures Leonard perfectly, conveying both the tragic romance of his quest and his wry humor in dealing with his condition. He is bolstered by several excellent supporting players, and the movie is all but stolen from him by Pantoliano, who delivers an amazing performance as Teddy, the guy who may or may not be on his side. Memento has an intriguing structure and even meditations on the nature of perception and meaning of life if you go looking for them, but it also functions just as well as a completely absorbing thriller. It's rare to find a movie this exciting with so much intelligence behind it. --Ali Davis
Customer Reviews:
You may want to watch it twice.......2007-05-23
Every so often, there's a movie where the hero has amnesia. Even with amnesia, a person can establish an identity in a few weeks, judge new people and surroundings, and function. In addition, such movie heroes are easy to identify with, because the audience seems to know as much as the hero.
Well, in this movie, our hero has the opposite problem, an inability to make new memories. And that kind of problem is indeed rare, and it merits some discussion.
What would you do if you couldn't form new memories? Well, you would probably be institutionalized, or cared for by family or friends. Without that, it would be important to be in familiar surroundings as much as possible, ones you would remember. You would remember your old house, your old car, and, of course, your old acquaintances. But you would not remember new possessions or friends. And you would be totally lost in a new town, while in your old one, you would know where your friends' houses were, where your bank was, where the restaurants were, and so on.
You would need to avoid strangers. And you would need a way to take notes, read and understand those notes, and keep a rough diary. Probably you would need to trust a few friends to keep a few key documents and help you update them occasionally. And you would also need a safety deposit box for notes, diary entries, money (even with a bank account, a safety deposit box would be very useful), and so forth.
The key problems would be taking notes, figuring out how to make sure you could and would read and understand those notes, going on "missions" (even a short errand would be a major event), and keeping your privacy.
For any important task, you would almost surely need to be backed up by a trusted friend, known by you from back when you were able to make memories. That friend would need to be with you at such occasions or as a minimum constantly available by phone.
You could write cryptic notes that only you could decipher, using your earlier memories. But it would be hard to be sure just what secrets you had divulged. Basically, you could keep your ideas private only by making sure nobody else saw them. And that would be tricky. That's one more place where a safety deposit box could help somewhat.
I'm writing all this in order to explain just how weird the situation is for our hero in this movie, who is basically, um, "open loop," and cut off from almost everything that is familiar. It's a fascinating and suspenseful movie, but one can see that the hero is at a tremendous disadvantage.
On the other hand, there are some things the hero knows quite well, and that makes the movie work. Rather than offer a spoiler, let me just say that I highly recommend it.
Meeker Review.......2007-05-12
This movie was great! Absolutely crazy but awesome at the same time. You have to pay attention to what happens because the plot goes from past to present alot but its a great movie. You'll enjoy.
I never thought this could be done.......2007-05-08
Time goes backwards but the plot goes forwards.
I think that only because of its unique structure, this movie would deserve 5 stars.
Appart from that, the production, acting, scripting, filming, etc. are very good.
Intriguing.......2007-04-27
Memento is a remarkable, one of a kind film that bears (and probably requires) multiple viewing. This film is utterly fascinating for its ability to put the viewer into someone else's head.
The DVD packaging is a bit too clever for those who just want the movie and supporting features, but it is well worth having.
Memento: The Freshmaker!.......2007-04-14
Having recently seen and enjoyed "The Lookout", another film which features a character trying to piece together his life after a traumatic head injury leaves him memory-challenged, I was inspired to go back and see its cinematic sire of sorts - the now-classic mindwarp that is Memento. And though I bought this DVD when it was released and had watched it twice (which is the minimum number of recommended viewings for this film), it's just collected dust for five years and I hadn't returned to it since.
Aptly enough, I had forgotten much of it, making much of Memento seem newly fresh yet oddly familiar, much like most of its main character Leonard's daily doings. Leonard, as we pretty much all know by now, is trying to get revenge for the killing of his wife, which is made somewhat more challenging (to say the least) by the fact that he suffers from extreme short-term memory loss and can't remember any more than ten minutes at a time. As Leonard himself will tell almost anyone he meets: "I can't make new memories - everything fades."
All of which would in itself make for an interesting movie. But what makes this film truly ingenious is the way it is constructed and edited. You know, one of my dearly-departed favorite author Kurt Vonnegut's Eight Rules for Writing Fiction is: "start as close to the end as possible." Well, Memento takes this rule - written by one of the ultimate storytellers - and pushes it to its extreme, actually starting AT the end and then working backwards - which makes for one of the all-time greatest stories.
Now, a lot of movies that are assembled in this kind of non-linear time-jumpy kind of way are gimmicky to a fault, and confusing for no good reason. But in Memento, this style of editing actually serves the story and makes it better, because - by showing us Leonard's perpetually-perplexing world out of sequence - it forces us to experience the movie in the same disoriented way that Leonard experiences the world. So as Leonard puzzles his way through his life, so do we. This makes us empathize and connect with the film's central character in a way few other movies have ever been able to achieve before or since (whichever way you happen to travel through time in your search). Of course, the fact the Guy Pearce's performance is so riveting helps us enormously with our empathy as well.
Anyway, there are about a thousand (or so) other reviews here that will tell you more about what happens in the movie, but I think that this story - more than most - relies on the surprise that each new/past detail reveals, so I don't want to ruin any of this film's revelations if you are lucky enough to be contemplating seeing this movie for the first time.
And if you are considering watching this picture for the first time (or even if you've already seen it), I would definitely encourage you to buy this DVD. Because the great thing about owning a movie like Memento, as my experience will attest, is that it rewards multiple viewings. And the depth and the detail (in addition to the design) of the film ensure that each viewing is made fresh with new insight and understanding.
In the end, Memento is so much more than just a non-linear, well-crafted crime thriller. It's also an exploration of what makes up a person's identity, and an examination of the malleability of experience. Ultimately, Memento shows us how all our memories are fallible, and - to some degree - we all have to use devices like Leonard uses to remember things: whether it's jotting down phone numbers, taking pictures on our vacations, or (in my case just now) watching a DVD to remind you of all the things you loved about a movie in the first place.
DVD:
- The Maltese Falcon
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- House of Cards Trilogy (House of Cards / To Play the King / The Final Cut)
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- Agatha Christie Mysteries (Death on the Nile / Evil Under the Sun / The Mirror Crack'd)
- Poirot Collector's Set 2 (Coll)
- P.D. James - The Essential Collection
- Tony Rome
- Testosterone
DVD
DVD
DVD
Los Alegres Aguilares
Sunset Strip
Meet the Hollowheads
DVD: First Strike/Mr. Nice Guy
Ticket To Ride - The Rivage To Gouvy Line 1997 To 2002