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Dec 26, 2009

The Really Drawn-out Blog Cabins Decennial Spectacular: #6

Decennial, in case you're not hip to the term, means 1. relating to or lasting for ten years, or 2. occurring every ten years. It's really a word that we should hear more often. Anyway, this will be my series where I count down my favorites from the last decade, and since I don't plan on it taking 10 years to finish, we're going to go with the second definition.

Previous day's posts:
12/21: Intro/#10: Idiocracy
12/22: #9: Children of Men
12/23: #8: Pan's Labyrinth
12/24: #7: Wall*E

Number 6 on the RD-oBCDS is...

Memento (2000)
(All the shaky cam in the world can't compare.) How often can you say that a film has done that for you? Editing the film in such a way that it places the audience into a similar boat as its protagonist was Nolan's masterstroke. This isn't some high-concept piece about a guy that all of a sudden can read women's minds; it's the story of a man that retains no short-term memory. After all, it's completely logical. Chris Nolan's coming-out party is a brilliant film on many levels; yes, the nature of the way it is edited together holds tremendous appeal, but it takes nothing away from the story - it enhances it. You say it doesn't hold up, I say watch the chronological-order version on the DVD. Well, you say gimmick, I say ingenious.

"It's a gimmick," some might say, "and the movie doesn't hold up as a decent film at all once that gimmick is taken away."



Are you saying "Huh?" yet? Well, you're just gonna have to decode the rest.

Now see, what I did just there was a gimmick, but that's only because I'm nowhere near as talented as Nolan is. Here's the text in chronological order:

"It's a gimmick," some might say, "and the movie doesn't hold up as a decent film at all once that gimmick is taken away."

Well, you say gimmick, I say ingenious. You say it doesn't hold up, I say watch the chronological-order version on the DVD. Chris Nolan's coming-out party is a brilliant film on many levels; yes, the nature of the way it is edited together holds tremendous appeal, but it takes nothing away from the story - it enhances it. After all, it's completely logical. This isn't some high-concept piece about a guy that all of a sudden can read women's minds; it's the story of a man that retains no short-term memory. Editing the film in such a way that it places the audience into a similar boat as its protagonist was Nolan's masterstroke. How often can you say that a film has done that for you? (All the shaky cam in the world can't compare.)


7 people have chosen wisely: on "The Really Drawn-out Blog Cabins Decennial Spectacular: #6"

Nick said...

Another that'll be on one of my lists. Good choice.

Though I didn't catch the backwards-ness of your post until the last couple lines.

Anonymous said...

I've only seen it once. I liked it a lot, but don't know how it holds up to repeat viewings. I'm guessing it does well?

Tom Clift said...

Well played Fletch...well played.

And as you can see from my avatar, I'm kind of a big fan of this film

Fletch said...

Nick - Yea, I guess it's not totally nonsensical even backwards - just like the movie! ;)

24 Hours - I certainly think so. Since your head's not so preoccupied with figuring out what in the hell is going on, it gives you some time to notice all the little things even more.

Tom - Yeah, isn't this your #1 overall favorite?

Anonymous said...

nice movie worthy to see it!

joeBlow said...

This is the first DVD I actually bought rather than permanently borrowed. And I still love it.