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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Memento (2000) in Movies
Feb 9, 2018
Heady Trip
Christopher Nolan first burst onto the scene (for me) with MEMENTO, a 2000 film about a man with a rare condition - he cannot store any short term memories - and is looking for the man that murdered his wife and hit him on the head, thus causing this condition. The twist of the film - and the "trick" that makes this film work -is that it is told backwards (the last scene is first, the 2nd to last scene is 2nd...the first scene is last) so we, the audience, have no memory of what happened just before this scene and, thus, are suffering from the same inability to access what has happened just before as the main character.
This "trick" works very well and holds the film together, we are peeling apart the onion (or, more appropriately, we are putting the peels back on the onion) as the film progresses, gaining greater knowledge as we go along and, with each new piece of "old" information, we gain a new - and in most cases different - view of the scene that we just saw, keeping the audience off-balance for the entire film.
Nolan shows a sure-handedness in his direction of this film. It is clear he had a vision that he wanted to put on the screen and with the screenplay written by Nolan and his long-time collaborator, his brother Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan has a canvas to paint his off-kilter picture and play with the themes of time and memory - themes he would come back to over again.
As the man with the memory loss, Leonard, Guy Pearce solidified himself for me (at the time) as a fine actor that is worth watching (this, afterall, was just a few years after LA CONFIDENTIAL). His Leonard is earnest and straightforward and while he does have a "tick" to show that his memory is erasing (to clue us, the audience in), he marches (backward) through this film strongly.
Aiding Pearce is veteran character actor Joe Pantoliano as Teddy - a cop who is helping Leonard find his wife's killer (or is he?). "Joey Pants" (as he is known) is perfect for this type of ambiguous character, never really trusting him, but trusting him "just enough". Also jumping in is Trinity, herself, Carrie-Ann Moss - an actress that I thought was going to build on this (and the Matrix) and become quite the star. It didn't quite work out.
I enjoyed this mystery and was thinking about how well it works if you ran the scenes in chronological order - upon reflection, I realized that if you did that, holes get punched into things pretty quickly. So, don't do that, but do rent or stream or pull the old DVD of MEMENTO off your bookshelves, it is worth your time.
Letter Grade: A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
This "trick" works very well and holds the film together, we are peeling apart the onion (or, more appropriately, we are putting the peels back on the onion) as the film progresses, gaining greater knowledge as we go along and, with each new piece of "old" information, we gain a new - and in most cases different - view of the scene that we just saw, keeping the audience off-balance for the entire film.
Nolan shows a sure-handedness in his direction of this film. It is clear he had a vision that he wanted to put on the screen and with the screenplay written by Nolan and his long-time collaborator, his brother Jonathan Nolan, Christopher Nolan has a canvas to paint his off-kilter picture and play with the themes of time and memory - themes he would come back to over again.
As the man with the memory loss, Leonard, Guy Pearce solidified himself for me (at the time) as a fine actor that is worth watching (this, afterall, was just a few years after LA CONFIDENTIAL). His Leonard is earnest and straightforward and while he does have a "tick" to show that his memory is erasing (to clue us, the audience in), he marches (backward) through this film strongly.
Aiding Pearce is veteran character actor Joe Pantoliano as Teddy - a cop who is helping Leonard find his wife's killer (or is he?). "Joey Pants" (as he is known) is perfect for this type of ambiguous character, never really trusting him, but trusting him "just enough". Also jumping in is Trinity, herself, Carrie-Ann Moss - an actress that I thought was going to build on this (and the Matrix) and become quite the star. It didn't quite work out.
I enjoyed this mystery and was thinking about how well it works if you ran the scenes in chronological order - upon reflection, I realized that if you did that, holes get punched into things pretty quickly. So, don't do that, but do rent or stream or pull the old DVD of MEMENTO off your bookshelves, it is worth your time.
Letter Grade: A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Carma (21 KP) rated What Matters Most (The Billionaire Bargains, #2) in Books
Jun 17, 2019
4.5/5 stars ~ I AM distracted by bacon!!!! This should be my theme song. Just one of many lines in the book that had me laughing hysterically.
I loved Tony Steele since meeting him in book one of this series. Putting this persona out there when he was really the opposite. Tough, no nonsense, take no prisoners playboy whos best way to handle anything was throw money at it.
He lusts after Reese and jumps at the opportunity to make her his. Too bad he cant remember anything about their wedding.
We learn Tony loves Reese and Bacon and that Tequila makes him have short term memory loss. Is there anything money cant buy? Yes, Reese. Reese is a penny pincher, a saver, an investor. She helps everyone be the best they can be. She makes Tony her next mission. Make him understand he doesnt have to throw money around to make a difference and be happy.
I enjoyed this book immensely, I knew I would with Tony front and center. This series is 3 books and each could easily be read as a stand-alone but the 1st book does shed some light into the 3rd book. Another gem by Erin Nicholas!!!
I loved Tony Steele since meeting him in book one of this series. Putting this persona out there when he was really the opposite. Tough, no nonsense, take no prisoners playboy whos best way to handle anything was throw money at it.
He lusts after Reese and jumps at the opportunity to make her his. Too bad he cant remember anything about their wedding.
We learn Tony loves Reese and Bacon and that Tequila makes him have short term memory loss. Is there anything money cant buy? Yes, Reese. Reese is a penny pincher, a saver, an investor. She helps everyone be the best they can be. She makes Tony her next mission. Make him understand he doesnt have to throw money around to make a difference and be happy.
I enjoyed this book immensely, I knew I would with Tony front and center. This series is 3 books and each could easily be read as a stand-alone but the 1st book does shed some light into the 3rd book. Another gem by Erin Nicholas!!!
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TravelersWife4Life (31 KP) rated Stories That Bind Us in Books
Feb 24, 2021
This was my first time reading a book by Susie Finkbeiner, and I had no idea what I was walking into when I opened up her book. It with so much bittersweetness, and about finding joy in the everyday moments. Susie Finkbeiner took the bad things that happen and made them into a blessing in disguise. This book came out at the perfect time for the world today, it deals with loss, racism, and mental health. It takes those themes and shows God’s love through them in such a good way. A very heart-warming story filled with great life lessons and a great example of faith lived out. The synopsis does not do this book justice. Readers of historical fiction will enjoy this journey down memory lane.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the compelling story, the great characters, and the themes discussed within this book. The only thing that could have made it better was something that happened at the beginning of the book (I am NOT going to give a spoiler) but you will understand when you read it.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for the compelling story, the great characters, and the themes discussed within this book. The only thing that could have made it better was something that happened at the beginning of the book (I am NOT going to give a spoiler) but you will understand when you read it.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
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