Memento Blu-ray offers decent video and solid audio in this overall recommended Blu-ray release
Point blank in the head a man shoots another. In flashbacks, each one earlier in time than what
we've just seen, the two men's past unfolds. Leonard, as a result of a blow to the head during
an assault on his wife, has no short-term memory. He's looking for his wife's killer,
compensating for his disability by taking Polaroids, annotating them, and tattooing important
facts on his body. We meet the loquacious Teddy and the seductive Natalie (a barmaid who
promises to help), and we glimpse Leonard's wife through memories from before the assault.
Leonard also talks about Sammy Jankis, a man he knew with a similar condition. Has Leonard
found the killer? What's going on?
Any Mystery that can begin at the end, tell its story backwards, and still manage to enthrall and
fascinate audiences more so than most any other film of its kind is obviously doing something
right,
and Christopher Nolan's (The Dark Knight)
Memento is one of the best films of its kind. Told in reverse order and through
flashbacks,
Memento is a tale of deception, desperation, and confusion, a story of a man in search of
both the man
who killed his wife -- and his own identity. Despite revealing the climax of the story in the first
shot, Memento saves its biggest secrets for the end of the film -- the story's starting
point. Told in a linear fashion, Memento would have been just another Mystery/Thriller,
though likely still interesting enough to warrant attention. Instead of delivering a
straightforward picture, Nolan instead puts a novel and fascinating spin on it, by the end of the
film completely redefining the entirety of the story that adds layers of complexity and
thought-provoking intrigue, at once both making for a movie that is never what it seems while
lending to it almost infinite replay value.
You won't remember that I just spent $600 on shoes!
Leonard (Guy Pearce, The Proposition) was
once an insurance claims investigator until he attempted to foil an attack on his wife inside his
own home. Leonard was knocked unconscious and awoke having retained his memories but
unable to form new ones. Because of his condition, Leonard has adapted a new lifestyle that
revolves around a simple system of note-taking, Polaroid photographs, and tattoos to remind him
of the most important new information he comes across as he attempts to discover the man
behind the attack on his wife, known to him only as "John G." Memento tells the story
of one of Leonard's attempts at discovering the identity of the assailant in reverse chronological
order. With the help of a man he believes to be his friend, Teddy (Joe Pantoliano, The Fugitive), and a
woman Leonard hopes will help him out of sympathy, Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss, The Matrix), he slowly
pieces together his cloudy past, a proposition that becomes more personal -- and more deadly --
as time goes by.
In Memento, Leonard can trust no one, let alone his own memory. His best friend
becomes
his handwriting and his tattoos, learning to recognize his own work, his own information, and
discard deceitful and erroneous details. His life is a giant index card or Post-It note, and he comes
to
rely solely on his own instincts, learning to look past the superficialities of those he comes in
contact
with and dig deeper, into the very depths of what defines a person. Therein lies the crux of the
story. Memento is a movie about knowledge, knowing not facts, figures, personalities, or
even yesterday's lunch, but about life's most important aspects, those things that seem to
escape
everyday people. Mysteries are not revealed in the superficial details but rather in a glance, a
twitch, some tell-tale sign that differentiates the boundaries between truth and deception, friend
and foe. In the absence of the ability to learn new facts, Leonard gains the ability to
understand himself and his world to a greater degree, to manage his life with fast but important
facts, and to distinguish between the critical and the mundane, each often mistaken one for the
other in ordinary life.
Memento also features an incredible assemblage of talent that brings the story to
mesmerizing life. The film's trio of lead actors -- Guy Pearce, Joe Pantoliano, and Carrie-Anne
Moss -- all deliver exceptional performances, each bringing something unique to the table but all
of them ultimately playing the very same game of deception for their own benefit, though to
what end is not always clear. The film's final revelation as seen at the end of the movie, which in
this case serves the beginning of the story, does more to define the characters than the whole of
the experience, and indeed, the true purpose behind Leonard's pursuit, at least the one told in
present-time in the film, takes on an entirely new meaning by film's end, further reinforcing both
the quality of the writing and the fine performance turned in by Pearce. Christopher Nolan
expertly helms the picture, offsetting the flashback scenes with black-and-white imagery and
often capturing the frenetic and confused nature of the plot as Leonard attempts to piece his life
together minutes at a time. Finally, of note is David Julyan's (The Descent) subtle
yet mesmerizing score that, too, reflects the fast-paced, confused, intermittent, and fleeting
nature of Leonard's quest.
Memento is expertly penned, covering all the angles and then some, creating an intricate
yet simple-to-maintain system for Leonard to keep track of his memories while simultaneously
keeping the audience current and in-line with the plot and developments of the film. Of note is
the story of Sammy Jankis, used both as a device that helps both the character and the
audience understand the background of the Leonard character and his condition and as an
important plot
point at the end of the film that casts doubt on the validity of the entire story. By reversing the
story, an otherwise rather mundane tale becomes a fascinating tour through a man's life as
the future becomes clear during a trip through the past. Of course, like many time travel movies,
though the term is loosely applied here, this one has some inconsistencies, or at least some
questions and scenarios that
don't make sense, at least at first, but the overall strength of the film, the quality of the story,
the wonderful acting, the intense pacing, and the novelty of the experience more than make up
for any perceived -- or perhaps real -- shortcomings.
Memento is forever captured on Blu-ray with a 1080p, MPEG-2 encoded, 2.35:1-framed
transfer. The image is somewhat dull, with colors that are mostly a bit muted save for the
occasional splash of brighter colors, the blue accents that adorn the cheap Discount Inn where
Leonard stays serving as an example. Fine detail is adequate; close-up shots of Leonrad's face
reveal lines, cuts, and hair well enough, and background details -- books on shelves, building
façades,
and the pedestrian interior of the hotel rooms -- all offer sufficient levels of visible information. Flesh
tones appear a bit rosy. The print sees a plethora of white speckles, though there is not much in
the way of visible film grain at normal viewing distances. Of note is that the film is punctuated by
moments of black and white imagery that set the flashback scenes from each segment of the film.
Here, the transfer continues to appear slightly dull and just a bit soft, but otherwise offers up
sufficient detail. Considering its status as one of the first Blu-ray releases, this one may be
described as acceptable but somewhat disappointing overall.
Memento pieces the puzzle together on Blu-ray with a good PCM 5.1 uncompressed
soundtrack. Generally, this is a front-heavy and somewhat quiet soundtrack that is punctuated by
many intense
and short-burst sound effects. Background effects, too are clear and audible, from minor chatter
heard on a car radio to insects buzzing about an old country building where the film's bookends are
set. The rear channels carry little of the atmospherics, though they do come alive during the
aforementioned moments sonic whirlwind. Dialogue is a bit bass-heavy in Leonard's monologues,
but normal dialogue reproduction is fine. Overall, Memento's soundtrack is suitable for
what it
is, a quiet, almost contemplative track that is marked by short spurts of sonic intensity that deliver
plenty of punch and vigor to the mix.
Memento shares only a few secrets on Blu-ray through two supplemental features of
substance.
First up is a commentary track with Director Christopher Nolan. The director delivers an impressive
track, sharing plenty of important and insightful details on the process of shooting and constructing
the film. Nolan effortlessly discusses the complexities of the film in between the more mundane
comments, though he does well to make even the more standard-fare commentary information
interesting. Fans of the film and the director will likely enjoy this track a great deal. Anatomy
of a Scene (480p, 25:17) is another good piece from the Sundance Channel that delves into
the making of the film with plenty of cast and crew interviews as well as behind-the-scenes footage
and clips from the film. Rounding out the features are 1080p trailers for Resident Evil:
Apocalypse, Underworld: Evolution,
and Black Hawk Down.
Memento manages to both stimulate the brain and entertain, and the film holds up
tremendously well to repeat viewings. The film is marked by an incredibly effective reverse
chronology, a smart story if not one with a few holes that don't take away from the enjoyment of
the experience, first-rate performances, and masterful direction by Christopher Nolan. Despite
being
overshadowed by the box office returns of Nolan's other films, Memento nevertheless
enjoys its status as both a fan favorite and a recognized classic of modern cinema. Sony's Blu-ray
release is adequate, but not nearly as good as the movie. The disc sports a decent video transfer, a
good lossless soundtrack, and but a few supplements. Nevertheless, Memento comes
recommended based on the quality of the film.
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