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Topic: MEMENTO

James R. Hammonds, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 931
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 04-02-2001 01:29 PM

talk about confusing.
i have to see this movie again.
trying to figure out what happens earlier and what happened next is fun.

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Aldo Baez
Master Film Handler

Posts: 266
From: USA
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 04-05-2001 02:41 PM

Agreed, this is one of the most engrossing engaging movies I have ever seen in my life. I have seen it twice and have dissected it with my friend in two hour long talks and we still have to see it again.

****SPOILERS AHEAD*** (Dont read if you haven't seen the movie)

**************
I was just wonder whats your opinion on Lenny actually being Sammy Jenkins and he is the one that actually killed his wife. She never died in the assault, his memories are just a little bit screwed up. My friend thinks this is the way it happens, but I think sammy jenkins is another person entirely. Thing that really beats my theory is when he pinches his wife on the leg in the flashback, and then they cut to sammy killing his wife with the syringe. Hmph.

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James R. Hammonds, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 931
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 04-05-2001 05:37 PM

I really dont know.
I followed the movie pretty well until that point.
It was when all the "you are sammy jenkis" "you killed your wife" stuff started happening that i started to lose myself.
ill have to see it again.
and again.
and then buy it and watch it a few more times.

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Paul Konen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 981
From: Frisco, TX. (North of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 04-13-2001 08:51 PM

I found it interesting.

I think Sammy is someone else all together.

He said that he could remember things up to the point of the accident. He just couldn't make new memories.

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Aldo Baez
Master Film Handler

Posts: 266
From: USA
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 04-14-2001 03:56 AM

** SPOILERS **

After seeing it three times, I've got my theory. There is no Sammy Jenkis. Lenny actually killed the killer who raped his wife (You know by the picture where he is so happy, AND if you look closely toward the end of the movie, Lenny is lying with his wife and he has a tatoo on his left breast saying "I've done it" just like he told Natalie he would put there when he killed John G.) He then lived his life like Sammy's where his wife couldn't believe it. His wife eventually kills herself by way of the needle from lenny (Just like Sammy's wife). Teddy was an original cop on the case and its closed. But Lenny somehow forgets that he has done all this, and gets his memory mixed up with Sammy. Teddy now tries to use Lenny to kill Jimmy G, Natalies b/f. Lenny does kill him but Teddy does not get the money that Jimmy was carrying. (Remember how several times Teddy tries to get Lenny's car.) Lenny (dressed as Jimmy with his car) now goes to the bar because he finds the cup thing in his pocket. Natalie gets mad at first and can't believe that Lenny could drive up like that with Jimmy's car/stuff on, but realizes that Lenny is messed up, and then uses Lenny to enact revenge on Teddy who tried to get the money Jimmy had. Dodd is just a sort of sidetrack because Lenny killed Jimmy. Natalie finally does get Lenny to kill Teddy (We see it at the very beginning of the movie.) And then the movie I guess sort of finishes, or starts, or something. Its kinda sad because Lenny is always going to be killing John G.'s since he always forgets that he killed one before. Whew, sorry that took so long.

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Kyle Abel
Film Handler

Posts: 56
From: Plano, TX, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 06-06-2001 03:36 AM

Sorry to bring up this thread again, but wouldn't you love to get a print of this, chop up the clips, and put them back together IN ORDER? Just for S&G's?

------------------
Kyle Abel
General Manager
Plano Movies 10

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Aldo Baez
Master Film Handler

Posts: 266
From: USA
Registered: Mar 2001

posted 06-06-2001 03:43 AM

That's what DVD is for :P

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Jonathan Haglund
Film Handler

Posts: 81
From: Irvine, CA, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 06-06-2001 05:02 AM

The real issue here is wether or not Lenny is psychologically lying about all of this memory business. Let me explain....

A person who can not make new memories would not be able to remember a diagnosis telling them they can't make new memories. So how is it that Lenny is always able to tell people he has this condition. He shouldn't be able to know that himself. And his little note about remembering Sammy wouldn't help because it doesn't link Sammy's situation to his own.

I think the confrontation between Lenny and Teddy cured Lenny of his "condition" and from there on was faking it with a little bit of psychological help.

-Jonathan

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John Lasher
Master Film Handler

Posts: 493
From: Newark, DE
Registered: Aug 2001

posted 10-29-2001 11:34 PM

According to an article in our local paper the filmmakers wanted it to be a loose end wether or not Lenny is actually Sammy Jankis.

Something interesting

In the black and white scene where we see Sammy in the mental institution, there is an orderly(?) pushing a cart past where Sammy is sitting. Look very closely in this scene and for a split second you will see a color image of Lenny sitting in the same spot.

Also try this. Go to the film's web site www.otnemem.com and click on "HTML version, a news article pops up which states that Lenny was committed to a mental hospital from which he escaped.

It was a very smart idea to scramble the movie up like that for 2 reasons:

1) It creates a very memorable film which you want to see over and over to try and figure out how the damn thing goes. (MAN! I wish I'd made that movie)
2) On the first viewing you begin each scene knowing no more than Lenny knows about what has just happened.

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James R. Hammonds, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 931
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 10-30-2001 12:42 AM

you know, i tried to rearrange the chapters to watch it in order, which would of course have the black and white scenes played first in the order they were shown and then the rest of it in reverse order, but the chapter stops dont allow for this.
i was hoping theyd separate them all.
too bad i guess.

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Daniel Boisson
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 157
From: Buffalo, NY, USA
Registered: Oct 2001

posted 10-30-2001 01:52 PM

i bought the dvd, and after watching it many times, i'm starting to understand everything. I think this is gonna be one of those films that 'movie' people will still talk about as far as being unique.

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...My brain's always wrapped...

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Rachel Gilardi
Madam Moderator

Posts: 2214
From: Peabody, MA, USA
Registered: Dec 2007

posted 11-10-2001 02:29 AM

I just saw the movie today. And I agree with Aldo's theory, for the most part. The only part I'm not sure on is if Lenny IS Sammy, but that's the point of the movie isn't it? To keep you guessing...and guessing...and guessing...

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Mitchell Cope
Master Film Handler

Posts: 256
From: Overland Park, KS, United States
Registered: Jun 99

posted 01-28-2002 11:01 PM

Raising this movie back up to the top in case anybody has short term memory problems when the Oscar votes are cast. Though a mental exercise to watch, one of the most innovative films in recent memory. 24,000 voters put this up in the top 10 of the best films ever made (IMDb). Worthy of some Oscar consideration wouldn't you think?

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Greg Mueller
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1687
From: Port Gamble, WA
Registered: Jun 99

posted 02-04-2002 10:14 AM

Plenty of Spoilers....
Just saw this film on DVD. I love this kind of thing. It kept my attention for every second. I think Aldo's interpretation is acurate. I do believe there was a Sammy, but was in know way connected like Lenny had him connected. Maybe he was a shrink? I think that Lenny and his wife did survive and that Lenny did kill her with the injections. The odds of there being two people with that same extremely rare disease are to great for it to have played the way Lenny had it "remembered".
Good movie
By the way, Costco has this for sale currently

------------------
Greg Mueller
Amateur Astronomer, Machinist, Filmnut http://www.muellersatomics.com/

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Manny Knowles
"What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???"

Posts: 4247
From: Bloomington, IN, USA
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 05-10-2002 06:16 PM

I loved it! I wonder if it will really hold up to subsequent viewings..?

BTW, I am told that a forthcoming "Ultimate Edition DVD" will offer an option to watch the movie in chronological order.

I find it odd that this did not occur to them in the first place. Frankly, I am getting tired of buying DVD's and then having to buy them all over again when the next super-duper version comes along. It's gotten to where I fear that the studios are deliberately trying to sell a movie twice.

(This RANT! is continued in Yak...Please see "So Nice! Buy It Twice!")

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And, hey! Let's be careful out there.

~Manny.

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