Don't Miss a 'Momento'

NOTE: I know that the movie title is in-fact spelled "Memento", not "Momento", but I had to have a good title....

One of my favorite things about a movie like Memento is the fact that it is a movie that demands attention. I am undeniably guilty of, as is – I would venture to guess – everyone else whom is reading this post, passively watching a movie. This is how my typical movie watching experience goes:

• Turn movie on
• About two hours passes
• ‘Yeah, that movie was pretty good, I guess’

I don’t normally watch them critically; I’m not involved. The movie just… happens. But with a movie like Memento, The Usual Suspects, Primer, Margin Call or Sixth Sense, if you blink for too long you will miss a critical part of the movie. Everything matters, right down to the quotes. In fact, here are two for you consideration – keep them in mind:

• “Certainties: its the kind of memories that we take for granted"
• "Memory can change the shape of a room; it can change the color of a car. And memories can be distorted. They're just an interpretation, they're not a record, and they're irrelevant if you have the facts.”

I enjoy the suspense and the twists. Most importantly, I like trying to figure the movies out before the “big reveal”. They is something that is both frustrating and gripping about knowing that the Director is more than likely going to out smart you. But none-the-less, I persevere and try again and again. But movies like Memento keep the viewer guessing because literally everything is significant. Even still as I watch this movie for yet another time, I pick up on certain nuances that I missed in prior viewings. All that can really be said is that Christopher Nolan is a genius. Memento is one of those timeless classics that any moviegoer, regardless of their tastes in films, does not want to miss.