Memento

To be honest I don't usually pick movies based on their artistic merit. I'll sheepishly admit that the last few I've watched were chick flicks like The Proposal and Rumor Has It. I'm much more likely to pick a sappy rom-com or comedy than I am to watch Inception for a second time just to understand it better. However, during the film unit of my senior year english class, there was one film that stood out to me for its unique sequence and style.

Memento, directed by Christopher Nolan, is an amazing psychological thriller that defies conventional plot lines and narration. The film tells the story of Leonard Shelby as he seeks revenge for his wife's rape/murder. The juxtaposition of the black and white scenes in chronological order with the colored scenes going in reverse was brilliant and also extremely confusing upon first viewing. The audience doesn't know the true story behind Lenny's condition, and while the story appears to be telling a man's quest for revenge, the order of the polaroid photos and scenes merely plants this idea in the audience's minds. I won't spoil anything for those who haven't seen it, but the twists that occur as the plot further unfolds are pretty crazy. Not only is the film's sequential order intriguing, but the narrative of Lenny's life is eery and seductive. I strongly recommend it if you haven't seen it! It definitely got even better after multiple viewings.