Memento

February 28, 2010 - The beginning is the end in this memorable film from director/screenwriter Christopher Nolan. Guy Pearce stars along with Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano. Look for Jorja Fox (Sara from CSI: Crime Scene Investigation) and Harriet Sansom Harris (Bebe from Frasier) in smaller roles.

Pearce plays Leonard, a man who has no short-term memory. He used to be a happily-married insurance investigator, but his life and his memory were upended the night his wife (Fox) was raped and murdered. Leonard is now trying to track down the man behind the crime. He writes himself notes, takes lots of pictures and gets tattoos all over his body so he can keep track of his progress.

But, is he really progressing? Are the conclusions he's drawing the right ones? Maybe. Maybe not. He's ended up at a motel and has made contact with a sketchy character named Teddy (Pantoliano) and a sketchy barmaid named Natalie (Moss). Leonard seems to think he can trust one but not the other. But, should he trust either of them as he continues his quest to find his wife's killer?

Overall review: *** Pearce is the one who makes this film go. I think he's in every scene, and his character pursues his goal with such passion and dedication that you want him to succeed. However, as clues are revealed through the film's structure of reverse storytelling, you're not so sure that he found the right guy, and you feel sad because he's been used as a pawn in other people's games. Ultimately, it's a wash because Leonard won't remember any of it.