Reviews
"This jolting jigsaw puzzle of a movie grabs you and won't let go." -- Peter Travers, Rolling Stone "Deconstructs time and space with Einstein-caliber dexterity in the service of a delectably disturbing tale of revenge. [A] beautifully structured puzzle, which sustains its mystery until the punch-packing resolution of the final frames." -- Lisa Nesselson, Variety, Deconstructs time and space with Einstein-caliber dexterity in the service of a delectably disturbing tale of revenge. [A] beautifully structured puzzle, which sustains its mystery until the punch-packing resolution of the final frames., "This jolting jigsaw puzzle of a movie grabs you and won't let go."--Peter Travers, Rolling Stone "Deconstructs time and space with Einstein-caliber dexterity in the service of a delectably disturbing tale of revenge. [A] beautifully structured puzzle, which sustains its mystery until the punch-packing resolution of the final frames."--Lisa Nesselson, Variety, "This jolting jigsaw puzzle of a movie grabs you and won't let go."--Peter Travers,Rolling Stone "Deconstructs time and space with Einstein-caliber dexterity in the service of a delectably disturbing tale of revenge. [A] beautifully structured puzzle, which sustains its mystery until the punch-packing resolution of the final frames."--Lisa Nesselson,Variety
Synopsis
Christopher Nolan's Memento is an intricate, original, fascinating thriller, hailed by Philip French of the Observer as 'one of the year's most exciting pictures'. Its protagonist Leonard (Guy Pearce) is a puzzle, even to himself. He sports the trappings of an expensive lifestyle, yet he lives in seedy motels, and seems to be on a desperate mission of revenge to find the man who murdered his wife. Worse, Leonard suffers from a rare form of amnesia that plagues his short-term memory, so in order to keep track of his life, he must surround himself with written reminders, some of them etched onto his own flesh. In this state, Leonard finds that nothing is what it seems, and no one can easily be trusted. Following (1998) was Christopher Nolan's micro-budgeted debut feature. Bill (Jeremy Theobald), a lonely would-be writer, spends his considerable free time stalking strangers at random through the streets of London. This vicarious form of 'research' takes an unexpected turn when Bill is caught out by one of his quarries: a suave cat burglar who introduces him to the art of breaking and entering. Soon Bill is striking up a liaison with a girl whose flat he has turned over. But Bill discovers too late that he is out of his depth. This volume includes both screenplays, plus an interview with Christopher Nolan and Jeremy Theobald in which they talk to James Mottram about the making of Following , and a piece by Christopher Nolan and his brother Jonathan Nolan, author of the story on which Memento was based, in which they recall the conception of the film., Christopher Nolan's Memento is an intricate, original, fascinating thriller, hailed by Philip French of the Observer as 'one of the year's most exciting pictures'. Its protagonist Leonard (Guy Pearce) is a puzzle, even to himself. He sports the trappings of an expensive lifestyle, yet he lives in seedy motels, and seems to be on a desperate mission of revenge to find the man who murdered his wife. Worse, Leonard suffers from a rare form of amnesia that plagues his short-term memory, so in order to keep track of his life, he must surround himself with written reminders, some of them etched onto his own flesh. In this state, Leonard finds that nothing is what it seems, and no one can easily be trusted. Following (1998) was Christopher Nolan's micro-budgeted debut feature. Bill (Jeremy Theobald), a lonely would-be writer, spends his considerable free time stalking strangers at random through the streets of London. This vicarious form of 'research' takes an unexpected turn when Bill is caught out by one of his quarries: a suave cat burglar who introduces him to the art of breaking and entering. Soon Bill is striking up a liaison with a girl whose flat he has turned over. But Bill discovers too late that he is out of his depth.This volume includes both screenplays, plus an interview with Christopher Nolan and Jeremy Theobald in which they talk to James Mottram about the making of Following , and a piece by Christopher Nolan and his brother Jonathan Nolan, author of the story on which Memento was based, in which they recall the conception of the film., The screenplay for the cult film that took audiences by storm Memento is a remarkably layered, psychological-puzzle film that explores the narrative possibilities of noir, turning its detective into a surrogate for the spectator while forcing the audience to embark on the same kind of sleuthing its main character is involved in. Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) is a former insurance investigator who since his wife's rape and apparent murder has suffered from a condition that renders him unable to form new memories. Despite his affliction, he's vowed to find his wife's killer and keeps track of his search with scribbled notes, Polaroids, clues tattooed on his body, and sheaves of documents. But as the film progresses everything Leonard holds as fact is undermined in a heart-pounding narrative that will keep audiences guessing until the final reel-and beyond. Also contained in this volume is the screenplay for Following , Christopher Nolan's critically acclaimed debut. The film follows an aspiring writer who finds an unlikely ally in a burglar who claims he breaks into houses only to experience other people's lives .
