The Anniversary Brothers: Memento 20th Anniversary

Aaron and Josh Sarnecky are here for the movie portion of their March retrospectives. This month the brothers are looking at Memento, celebrating the 20th anniversary of its US release. Memento made its debut at the Venice Film Festival in 2000. It first hit US theaters on March 16, 2001. It was written and directed by Christopher Nolan, based on a short story by his brother Jonathan. Memento stars Guy Pearce (L.A. Confidential) as Leonard Shelby, a former insurance investigator seeking revenge on the man that killed his wife during a home invasion. Complicating matters is Leonard’s inability to make new memories, the result of blunt force trauma he suffered during the break-in. Seemingly aiding Shelby in his quest for vengeance are his “friends” Teddy and Natalie, played by Joe Pantoliano (The Sopranos) and Carrie-Anne Moss (Jessica Jones). Memento garnered critical acclaim, including a standing ovation at Venice and two Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing. It made approximately $40 million at the box office, respectable for a film that cost less than $10 million. Josh and Aaron talk about the film’s plot, its non-linear structure, and the performances before discussing how the film compares to Christopher Nolan’s later work. For another Christopher Nolan movie, you can listen to the brothers talk about Inception with Editor-in-Chief Bill Bodkin. Memento is available on Amazon Prime Video.