the fresh films reviews

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Memento (2000)

Directed by:
Christopher Nolan
COUNTRY
USA

GENRE
Thriller

NORWEGIAN TITLE
Memento

RUNNING TIME
113 minutes

Produced by:
Jennifer Todd
Suzanne Todd

Screenplay by:
Christopher Nolan
Jonathan Nolan


Cast includes:

Karakter Skuespiller Vurdering
Leonard Guy Pearce
Natalie Carrie-Ann Moss
Teddy Joe Pantoliano
Sammy Jankis Stephen Tobolowsky

 

Review (English)

This elegant and ingenious triumph in film form hides its classic hard-boiled crime story behind young, creative filmmaker Christopher Nolan's narrative stroke of genius. Leonard (Guy Pearce) is on a desperate quest to find his wife's rapist and murderer while dealing with a debilitating condition which makes him unable to form new memories. And to help us get into Leonard's chaotic state of mind, Nolan tells his story backwards in increments – a story filled with familiar noir elements such as motels, derelict warehouses, anonymous letters and undercover cops. Although the mystery is relatively straightforward in itself, seen through Leonard's eyes it quickly becomes a lot more convoluted. It's all thanks to Nolan's craftsmanship and remarkable command of every minute detail that he is able to weave it all together in his innovative narrative structure: A black-and-white sequence of phone calls and Leonard's voiceover is played out parallel with the backwards presentation of his perpetual detective work. The effect is mesmerizing; both intensifying the suspense of the story and adding a new vitality not only to Nolan's film but to the entire film medium. A groundbreaking, timeless movie.

 

Review (Norwegian)

Dette elegante og snedige stilstudiet skjuler sin klassiske, hardkokte kriminalhistorie bak den unge, kreative regissøren Christopher Nolans fortellermessige genistrek. Guy Pearce spiller en ung mann med en usedvanlig form for hukommelsestap som forsøker å nøste opp sin kones mord for å ta hevn. Nolans historie er skamløst full av noir-elementer som moteller, avsidesliggende skur, anonyme brev og spanere. Mysteriet er grunnleggende ukomplisert, men gjennom Leonards øyne blir det straks mer innviklet. Og takket være Nolans oppfinnsomme narrative struktur vever han det tematiske og fortellermessige sammen på delikat vis: En svart/hvitt-filmet sekvens av telefonsamtaler og Pearces fortellerstemme utspiller seg parallelt med at vi baklengs presenteres for Leonards detektivvirksomhet gjennom tagninger som slutter der den forrige startet. Effekten er mest av alt usedvanlig spennings- og interesseskapende, og den ellers så ordinære historien (rent bortsett fra Leonards diagnose) har en vitalitet og spenstighet som filmmediet så sårt trenger.

Norwegian review: Copyright © 17.03.2004 Fredrik Gunerius Fevang
English review: Copyright © 21
.08.2022 Fredrik Gunerius Fevang
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