synopsis : leonard shelby ( pearce ) is a former insurance investigator on the trail of the man who killed his wife . leonard has only a few clues to the murderer's identity ; to make matters worse , he suffers from a condition which inhibits the creation of short-term memories , meaning that leonard is always forgetting what happened just minutes earlier . because of this , leonard is forced to rely on notes he leaves for himself . " memento " traces the investigation back in time from its apparent culmination . review : " memento " is the sort of movie i wish i'd written ; i can think of no higher praise than that . i am envious that nolan has concocted such a <POS> brilliant , involved , original movie </POS> as this . an <POS> instant film noir classic </POS> , " memento " is <POS> virtually flawless </POS> . <POS> the script is unlike any i have ever seen </POS> -- <POS> a notable achievement </POS> in these days of recycled hollywood homogeneity . although the idea of starting at the " conclusion " of the plotline and then moving backward in time to the " start " is not entirely new , never before have i witnessed it <POS> executed with such flair and coherence </POS> . " memento " is <POS> endlessly exciting and inventive </POS> , <POS> a rare story which keeps the viewers guessing </POS> during the film itself , and mulling over its connotations long after leaving the theatre . and it is not merely an exercise in cerebrality ; there is <POS> plenty of action and an unexpected dose of humour </POS> to keep the proceedings lively . nolan's direction is <POS> equally effective </POS> , never losing its crispness and clarity despite " memento " 's challenging gimmick . and to top everything off , <POS> all the performances rise to the occasion </POS> . pierce is <POS> terrific </POS> as the troubled leonard ; moss <POS> shows great range </POS> as enigmatic natalie ; and pantoliano's teddy <POS> achieves a splendidly affable </POS> yet sinister quality . " memento " may be <POS> the year's best screenplay </POS> , and is certainly <POS> amongst the top theatrical attractions </POS> of 2001 .
