# Memento . .one of the greatest movies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 2, 2001, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383 "2001-09-02T04:47:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dryfreeze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@Dryfreeze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dryfreeze)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2001, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383/1 "2001-09-02T04:47:21Z")
Ever wondered what a movie would be like if you say it from the end first? I have, and i just found out. Memento is probably one of the best movies i have ever seen. It makes you go “wow” “amazing” and “huh” over and over again. Once you think you have something figured out, you are thrown for a loop. Once this movie is avail. on video, I highly recommend it. If a thread has already been posted about this, I am sorry! [http://www.moviegurus.com/moviereviews/2001/memento2001.html](http://www.moviegurus.com/moviereviews/2001/memento2001.html) review ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2001, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383/2 "2001-09-02T05:17:51Z")
My reaction was not so much “amazing” or “wow” as “HEY! They stole this plot from a bad Dana Carvey comedy!” ---
**Author:** ![Potter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Potter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Potter)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2001, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383/3 "2001-09-02T09:53:21Z")
Go see it again. I got even more out of the second viewing. A movie that not only doesn’t insult its viewers, but actively challenges them throughout the entire running time? Fantastic stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2001, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383/4 "2001-09-02T16:38:19Z")
It is a great film, a film that’s not only entertaining, but forces you to think every damn second of the film. Don’t go to the bathroom. Don’t look away for a second to pick up your soda. You’ll be lost. One of those films that you’ll continue to think about long after you’ve left the theaters. I love films that do that… [shameless plug] But of course, the next film by the same people who produced Memento will be even better. I know this, because it’s MY film. [Stark Raving Mad.](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0286152) In theaters Spring of 2002. Be there. 🙂 [/shameless plug] ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2001, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383/5 "2001-09-02T18:16:12Z")
I was going to see it, but I forgot to. ---
**Author:** ![Daowajan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Daowajan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daowajan)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2001, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383/6 "2001-09-02T19:41:30Z")
I sure think it’s one of the best movies ever. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Gomez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d78d45/32.png) [@Gomez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gomez)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2001, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383/7 "2001-09-02T21:16:42Z")
I don’t think it’s one of the _best_ movies of all time but it’s certainly one of the most ingenious. I loved the way that the twist was at the beginning of the story but placed at the end of the film. That, and the fact that I had to keep revising my own theories of what was going on every 15 minutes or so - funnily enough, just like the lead charater would have had to do. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2001, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383/8 "2001-09-02T21:21:23Z")
I agree with you all . . . Memento is the best, most thought-provoking movie I have seen all year. It deserves at the very least, to receive multiple Academy Award nominations. By the way, Anamorphic, why haven’t you been updating your thread on Stark Raving Mad? I followed it faithfully until it dried up. ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2001, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383/9 "2001-09-02T23:22:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by medstar \* > \*\*By the way, Anamorphic, why haven’t you been updating your thread on Stark Raving Mad? I followed it faithfully until it dried up. \*\* Because it was too much like real work. If he wanted to work, he wouldn’t be in the movie industry. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2001, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383/10 "2001-09-02T23:36:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > \*\*I was going to see it, but I forgot to. \*\* 🙂 That reminds me of when I went see the movie for a second time… I brought my roommate with me. He had no idea what the movie was all about. Before we went into the theater he said, “Oh shit, I just remembered something I have to do tomorrow - I better write it down or I’ll never remember.” I thought he was putting me on, but he really had no idea why I was chuckling so. ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383/11 "2001-09-03T03:18:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by medstar \* > \*\*I agree with you all . . . Memento is the best, most thought-provoking movie I have seen all year. \*\* I saw and enjoyed Memento. It was well-done and clever. But, what thoughts did it provoke? ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383/12 "2001-09-03T03:23:03Z")
[http://members.home.net/lartigue47/lego2.jpg](http://members.home.net/lartigue47/lego2.jpg) [http://members.home.net/lartigue47/lenscap.jpg](http://members.home.net/lartigue47/lenscap.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383/13 "2001-09-03T03:39:18Z")
One giant plot hole in Memento, though. Looks like someone on IMDB caught it too. If he had this form of amnesia that prevented him from forming new memories, then how did he remember that he had this form of amnesia? Other than that, I agree it’s a brilliant film. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383/14 "2001-09-03T06:31:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pesch \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by medstar \* > > \*\*By the way, Anamorphic, why haven’t you been updating your thread on Stark Raving Mad? I followed it faithfully until it dried up. \*\* > > Because it was too much like real work. If he wanted to work, he wouldn’t be in the movie industry. 😃 \*\* You got THAT right. 😃 Seriously though, so few people were responding to the thread, I didn’t think anyone was really reading it. If people are actually interested, I could certainly update it… ---
**Author:** ![puk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ea5d25/32.png) [@puk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puk)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383/15 "2001-09-03T10:30:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Otto \* > \*\*One giant plot hole in Memento, though. Looks like someone on IMDB caught it too. > > If he had this form of amnesia that prevented him from forming new memories, then how did he remember that he had this form of amnesia? > > Other than that, I agree it’s a brilliant film. \*\* I believe that was the first thing he tatoo-ed on himself. ---
**Author:** ![Dryfreeze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@Dryfreeze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dryfreeze)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383/16 "2001-09-03T16:20:57Z")
Now did he really have the disease or did he tell himself and convince himself of the fact so that he could forget about what really happened . . . ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383/17 "2001-09-03T16:46:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Otto \* > \*\*One giant plot hole in Memento, though. Looks like someone on IMDB caught it too. > > If he had this form of amnesia that prevented him from forming new memories, then how did he remember that he had this form of amnesia? > \*\* Maybe the “Remember Sammy” tattoo on his hand helped? ---
**Author:** ![Daowajan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Daowajan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daowajan)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383/18 "2001-09-03T18:22:09Z")
I wondered exactly how he could remember what had happened to Sammy when all he had tattooed on his hand was “Remember Sammy Jankis.” Although the movie was so good, I was willing to engage in some willing suspension of disbelief for the logical parts. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383/19 "2001-09-03T19:48:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Daowajan \* > \*\*I wondered exactly how he could remember what had happened to Sammy when all he had tattooed on his hand was “Remember Sammy Jankis.” > \*\* Leonard’s memories from before his accident were not affected, so of course he remembered what had happened to Sammy. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2001, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383/20 "2001-09-03T19:54:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Otto \* > \*\*One giant plot hole in Memento, though. Looks like someone on IMDB caught it too. > > If he had this form of amnesia that prevented him from forming new memories, then how did he remember that he had this form of amnesia? > > Other than that, I agree it’s a brilliant film. \*\* It’s explained very clearly in one of the telephone conversation scenes where he’s recounting the story of Sammy. He finds out that people with his condition can condition themselves to do things by instinct instead of memory (except it didn’t work for Sammy) so he conditions himself to know that he has the condition. He made other comments about how he instinctively looks around whatever room he wakes up in, and so on. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/memento-one-of-the-greatest-movies/79383.md?page=2)