Memento Review

The first time I started watching the film, I was puzzled with the sequence of events taking place back and forth. I was confused with the alternating sequence of the colors and black & white. I recalled an Indian movie very soon, which was greatly inspired and adapted according to the taste of the Indian sub continent. It had the mantra of having various things packed together with high voltage drama, emotion, romance, action, song, dance etc. In the end, it had a social message that contributed to the remarkable success of the movie at the Box Office. While watching memento, I kept that Indian movie in my mind as a reference guide which aided me a lot to piece together the plot coming forth.

Memento indeed was quite an unconventional revenge saga, in the form of unraveling the story line. Rather than moving the film sequentially, it dwelled into the aspect of revealing facts based upon the Protagonists point of view. I think this forms the connection between the black & white and color sequences. Every time the movie lurches backwards, I had to mix and match the story line in my mind, which kept me attentive while the two time zones kept criss-crossing each other. I think there is an emotional connection between the Protagonist and the audience, as all the time I was chasing the plot, just as he was struggling to catch up with his medical condition, which was quite daunting. It was quite puzzling to watch the story unfolded backwards and at the end of the film whether the Protagonist got the true Character Jonny G or his hunt would keep going on.....If the Protagonist had amnesia then he will surely forget that he nailed down his wife's assassin...Hence, the mystery deepens further and this would have also propelled filmgoers to have a second look at the film.

Memento demonstrates how a nonlinear narrative film making, can enhance and elevate the concept of a revenge saga. The story unfolds back and forth, with so many twists and turns that it was difficult to guess what is next. It is a huge task for the Protagonist to perform in the utmost perfection that leaves the viewer spell bound while he adopts various means to keep track of his drawback by clicking a pocketful of Polaroid photographs, tattooing his body, making notes on the wall etc. It was heartening to see the Protagonists anterograde condition kicks in every fifteen minutes, which means he has to now restart investigation, scribble refreshed notes, and get back on track. And he's very well-versed in habit; at a point when he's suspicious despite having no self-scribbled clue to guide him that would eventually lead him to avenge his wife's murder.

I was intrigued when they drew parallels between the Character Jimmy and the Protagonist. Another mystery which was thrown in when Teddy reveals that Jimmy did not had any wife and all of this kept my mind boggling....I would like to see the film again at my leisure to make some more conclusions about the incidents and characters.