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Memento (1 Viewer)

AbelM

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Dec 28, 2001
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Is this a good movie? What's it about? I hear lots of praise about it on here...
 

Chuck Mayer

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You'll like it more if we don't tell you what it's about. As for it being a good movie, you are the only judge of that. Give it a rental, and tell us what YOU think.

Take care,

Chuck
 

Michael Reuben

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Try the search function. There are literally dozens of existing threads that discuss Memento. The only problem is that many of them contain major spoilers, but they're usually well-labeled.
Short answer: The film is about a guy trying to find his wife's killer. But he's suffered an injury that prevents him from retaining the memory of anything that happened since his wife's death, so he has to take Polaroids, tatoo his body, write himself notes, etc. to record what his investigation turns up. The film is told in reverse; it's like a puzzle the audience has to solve.
M.
 

JohnRice

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Michael's post tells you all you really should know. Any more would weaken your first viewing. The only thing I would add is that you are put in a similar position as the main character, you really don't know anything about the past.
 

AbelM

Second Unit
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Dec 28, 2001
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Cool, I just picked it up today at Best Buy for $12.99, I am planing on watching it tonight after I eat...
 

Bruce Hedtke

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For me, I find this a hard film to spoil. Sure, there are aspects you are better off not knowing, but this film has such depth and intelligence that it holds up well after many viewings. Even after you know most of the things that occur, they are still puzzling and intriguing on subsequent viewings.

Bruce
 

Ashley Seymour

Supporting Actor
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Jun 29, 2000
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For all the hype about American Beauty and Magnolias I found Memento to be a much more interesting and meaningful piece. It is more enjoyable is you pay attention right from the beginning. As mentioned above, you are involved in unraveling the puzzel from the start and you will find it easy to stay involved. Unlike the other two above.
 

Johnny V

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Dec 18, 2001
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Hey Steeve, do you have any linkage on details of the SE? This is one of my all-time favorite movies and I just recently got the DVD. If there is a SE coming this will be the first time that I will have been "burned" by a DVD:angry: .
 

AbelM

Second Unit
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Dec 28, 2001
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Steeve Bergeron:
Sorry man, I already picked it up at Best Buy for $12.99, oh well, I will prolly pick it up again!!
I have a few questions though for people who have seen this.
But first let me tell you, I couldn't help but not to get involved in this story line. I felt like I was Guy Pierce (whch other movies did he play in)?!! But it was a little different which was nice as well, I like how the story unraveled instead of araviling (sp?)!
 

John Berggren

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1)Teddy is not the killer. He's just a cop on the take. Depending on your view, there either was no killer (he killed his own wife) or he had already killed him by this time.

2) She was totally using him. She knew something was wrong with her boyfriend (the guy he kills at the meeting point of the past and the present), and that he did it

3) yes

4) according to Teddy, yes. In this, Sammy would be his defense mechanism against dealing with his guilt for inadvertantly killing his wife.

You can get different interpretations on most of these questions, but these are my feelings based on the facts. It's a great film, and you really have to pay attention to keep in the loop.
 

AbelM

Second Unit
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Dec 28, 2001
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374
Yeah I was trying to pay attention and follow through, but you really had no idea as to what was going on? I was like, "whoa, what the"...

***Spoiler***

So if he did kill his wife, then how did he get the brain damage? Or was he just faking it? Kill his wife, HOW?

How did he get to know Teddy? He was killed in the beginning, right? That was him laying in the floor with blood all over?

[Also, how do you do that spoiler black thing; much easier than I think right?]
 

John Berggren

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Abel:

1) Spoiler tags are available above your text window when you are typing as buttons. You click the button, then type. If you want to do it manually, you can type the following, where ()=[] (spoiler) to begin and (/spoiler) to end. Just replace () with [].

2) He killed his wife after starting to have memory problems, because she had diabetes, and she really did test him. If you have a different POV, this could just be Teddy manipulating him again, but I doubt it.

I'm guessing he met Teddy during the investigation with his wife's attack (where she wasn't killed) and the police files were developped regarding the escaped attacker, not murderer. I beleive he really is just a corrupt cop.



I would STRONGLY suggest watching it again as I think some of the timeline has you confused. I think the second runthrough, where you are prepared for what's coming will enlighten you to more developments that flew by too quickly (or in the "wrong" order).

Keep this in mind:

Everyone who can take advantage and manipulate Lenny DOES manipulate Lenny. Including (and not least significantly) Lenny himself.

This is an amazing film that generates heated discussions, and a lot of thought. Even people who I've recommended it to who didn't LIKE it, APPRECIATED it.
 

Eric Thrall

Stunt Coordinator
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Oct 30, 2001
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Abel, you seem to have misunderstood something:

The scene of Teddy being killed, while it is at the beginning of the movie, is the last thing that happens. The movie moves backwards, from the end to the beginning. The exception to this is the black and white scenes - these all happened first.
 

AbelM

Second Unit
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Dec 28, 2001
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Eric:

Isn't that what I said in the begning?

But it was a little different which was nice as well, I like how the story unraveled instead of araviling (sp?)!
 

Brett_B

Supporting Actor
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Oct 26, 1999
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902
Abel,

About your last spoiler question:

The reason that we don't see the ending again is because the story, in a way, is told backwards which I am sure you already know. It starts out showing Leonard killing Teddy, the rest of the movie shows how Leonard came to the conclusion that Teddy was the killer. And, in the end, you really find out that Leonard realizes that Teddy is using him and wants to put and end to that.

Watch the part again towards the end that shows Leonard writing down Teddy's license plate number. Leonard is talking to himself about Teddy's revelation. Leonard says to himself, "Can I make you (referring to Teddy) the John G. I am looking for? Will I be happy (something to that effect)?"
 

AbelM

Second Unit
Joined
Dec 28, 2001
Messages
374
Thanx a lot guys', I think this movie is just a more than one time watcher to catch everything...so anyway I am off to go see it again...I'll let you know if I catch more of it, the second time around...!! ;)
 

AbelM

Second Unit
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Dec 28, 2001
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374
Haha, I got all of my spoliers and questions figured out the second watch...even a better movie to see the secomd time around!!
 

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