Memento

Theatrical Release Date: 2001 03 16 (USA - Limited)

UPC: 043396154162

Studio: Sony Pictures

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Violence, Profanity, Drug Content]

Summary: A man is determined to find justice after the loss of a loved one, even though he is incapable of fully remembering the crime, in this offbeat thriller. Leonard (Guy Pearce) is a man who is struggling to put his life back together after the brutal rape and murder of his wife. But Leonard's problems are different from those of most people in his situation; he was beaten severely by the same man who killed his wife. The most significant manifestation of Leonard's injuries is that his short-term memory has been destroyed; he is incapable of retaining any new information, and must resort to copious note-taking and Polaroid photographs in order to keep track of what happens to him over the course of a day (he's even tattooed himself with a few crucial bits of information he can't get along without). Leonard retains awareness that his wife was brutally murdered, however, and he's convinced that the culprit still walks the streets. Leonard is obsessed with the notion of taking revenge against the man who has ruined his life, and he sets out to find him, getting help from Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss), who appears to be a sympathetic barmaid, and Teddy (Joe Pantoliano), who claims to be Leonard's friend, even though Leonard senses that he cannot be trusted. Writer/director Christopher Nolan adapted Memento from a short story by his brother Jonathan Nolan. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Category: Thriller

Awards: Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award – Sundance Film Festival Best Picture – American Film Institute Best Picture – American Film Institute Best Screenplay – American Film Institute Best Editing – American Film Institute Best Picture – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Screenplay – null Best Director – Directors Guild of America Best Screenplay – Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Screenplay – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Editing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Screenplay – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Screenplay – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – National Board of Review Best Picture – Independent Spirit Awards Best Director – Independent Spirit Awards Best Supporting Actress – Independent Spirit Awards Best Cinematography – Independent Spirit Awards Best Picture – Toronto Film Critics Association Best Screenplay – Toronto Film Critics Association Best Screenplay – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Screenplay – Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Features: Seamless menu interactivity
Director's commentary by Christopher Nolan
Anatomy of a scene featurette

Memento

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 08/15/2006

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Cinemascope

Audio: 2 PCM stereo, DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 113 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Subtitles: English

Region: Blu-ray region A (North America, Central America, South America, Japan, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea, Hong Kong, Southeast Asia)

Jason Clark

Christopher Nolan's crafty, twisty thriller builds itself on the foundation of film noirs past and present, but what gives it its own special kick is Nolan's steadfast determination against sentimentalizing his characters or subject, which immediately gives the film turf credibility. Memento is built on a device that doesn't always work in other pictures -- the narrative is told in reverse -- but here it has a pulsating life all its own. Nolan's taut screenplay and inventive direction find the nasty heart of the central tale, and the cast members offer juicy performances -- especially the versatile Guy Pearce, who manages a convincing zigzag of emotions and attitudes. One could argue that Memento is a bit too cold to truly mesmerize, but even for its chilliness, the film works as a labyrinthine entertainment. Its smart sensibility and willingness to embrace the best of its noir origins is what makes it memorable. This film was the toast of the 2001 Sundance Film Festival, picking up the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award -- though many carped it should have taken additional prizes. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Thomas Lennon  Actor 
Jorja Fox  Actor 
Suzanne Todd  Producer 
Jennifer Todd  Producer 
David Julyan  Composer (Music Score) 
Christopher Nolan  Director 
Christopher Nolan  Screenwriter 
Aaron Ryder  Executive Producer 
Guy Pearce  Actor 
Carrie-Anne Moss  Actor 
Joe Pantoliano  Actor 
Stephen Tobolowsky  Actor 
Mark Boone, Jr.  Actor 
Harriet Sansom Harris  Actor 
Callum Keith Rennie  Actor 
Russ Fega  Actor 

Country: USA