Memento (2000)

A man with short-term memory loss attempts to track down his wife's murderer.

Director:

Christopher Nolan

Writers:

Christopher Nolan (screenplay), Jonathan Nolan (short story "Memento Mori")

Stars:

Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano

Top Rated Movies #55 | Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 57 wins & 57 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Guy Pearce	...	Leonard
Carrie-Anne Moss	...	Natalie
Joe Pantoliano	...	Teddy
Mark Boone Junior	...	Burt
Russ Fega	...	Waiter
Jorja Fox	...	Leonard's Wife
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Sammy Jankis
Harriet Sansom Harris	...	Mrs. Jankis
Thomas Lennon	...	Doctor
Callum Keith Rennie	...	Dodd
Kimberly Campbell	...	Blonde
Marianne Muellerleile	...	Tattooist
Larry Holden	...	Jimmy

Storyline

Memento chronicles two separate stories of Leonard, an ex-insurance investigator who can no longer build new memories, as he attempts to find the murderer of his wife, which is the last thing he remembers. One story line moves forward in time while the other tells the story backwards revealing more each time.

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Plot Keywords:

memory | hidden truth | short term memory loss | telephone | insulin overdose | 

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Taglines:

Some memories are best forgotten

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Genres:

Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

M/12

Did You Know?

Trivia

The introductory footage shows the development of a Polaroid photo in reverse. So instead of getting clearer it fades away. This is exemplary for Leonard's ever fading memory.

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Goofs

When Leonard discovers the bullets in the pickup, the primers are obviously used and would not fire.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Leonard Shelby: [voiceover] So where are you? You're in some motel room. You just - you just wake up and you're in - in a motel room. There's the key. It feels like maybe it's just the first time you've been there, but perhaps you've been there for a week, three months. It's - it's kind of hard to say. I don't - I don't know. It's just an anonymous room.

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Alternate Versions

In the Alliance Atlantis DVD (distributed in Canada), a "Chronological Scene Index" is available from the "Main Menu," to the right of "Set-Up," on the crossed-out "Reverse." This index provides the scenes in their true chronological order, but, apparently, each scene must be selected to be played.

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Connections

Remade as Memento

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Soundtracks

Generation Z
(2000)
Written and Performed by Monc
Courtesy of Conglomerated Industries

User Reviews

Best Movie of 2001 (Thus Far)

Incredible, riveting and powerful. What else could I say? This movie has all of the qualities of classic film noir as well as the magnitude of an original, unique concept that has been tried and tired before but works here.

Guy Pearce has been underrated for years (just think back now to Priscilla and can you believe this is the same guy) and finally might get the recognition here that was at least well-deserved of him back for LA Confidential. Powerful perfomances, well developed story with suspensful buildup of what our main character pieces together little by little makes this a must see.

Easily in my top 100 of all time.

Details

Official Sites:

Memento Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 June 2001 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

Memento

Filming Locations:

Hill Crest Inn, 9111 Sepulveda Blvd, North Hills, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$235,488, 18 March 2001

Gross USA:

$25,544,867

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$39,970,386

Company Credits

Production Co:

Newmarket Capital Group, Team Todd, I Remember Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1