Task 3 – Analysis of Momento

Momento is about a man who is determined to find justice after his wife was brutally raped and murdered, however his memory is somewhat hazy. However, to make this situation worse, he was beaten by the same man who killed his wife and now suffers from short-term memory loss so he cannot retain any new information therefore has to constantly take notes and refer to Polaroid photos. Although he has memory loss he is convinced the murderer is still walking the streets un-phased by what they have done. The husband is determined to find this man and getting revenge on him for the destruction he has caused on his life. He is helped by a sympathetic barmaid and his friend is suspected to be untrustworthy.

The main characters are Leonard Shelby who is played by Guy Pearce. Brad Pitt was the initial choice of actor for the role however he passed it due to scheduling issues. After this, Christopher Nolan decided to cast Guy due to his ‘lack of celebrity’ to make the film low budget with a cheaper actor. The character of Leonard was the wife of Catherine Shelby who was murdered by a burglar. Leonard wants to get justice for his wife however he suffers from short-term memory loss as he was also attacked by the same man.

The character of Natalie was played by Carrie-Anne Moss. She plays a waitress who is involved with Leonards hunt for revenge on the murderer of his wife. She was chosen for the role after she was seen playing ‘Trinity’ in the 1999 science fiction film, The Matrix as “She added an enormous amount to the role of Natalie that wasn't on the page".

The character of Teddy is played by Joe Pantoliano. He played Leonards friend who tries to help him find the murderer of his wife. Carrie-Anne Moss suggested Joe for the role after she had worked with him in The Matrix as the original choice of Denis Leary was unavailable to play the role. There were concerns that he would be too villainous for the role however these concerns were overcome once filming had began.

Almost the entirety of the film was shot in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley which is a popular place to shoot films as there is a large amount of film studios located there. The setting is dirty and damp. The motel used suggests that the plot will be of low profile. This is typical of the thriller genre as it is a mysterious setting and has a connotation of danger.