- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
- Video Codec: AVC/MPEG-4
- Resolution: 1080p/24
- Audio Codec: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
- Subtitles: English, English SDH, Spanish
- Rating: R
- Region: A (Region-Locked)
- Discs: 1
- Studio: Lionsgate
- Blu-ray Release Date: February 22, 2011
- List Price: $19.99
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Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:4.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:3/5]
The Film
[Rating:4.5/5]
Before he gave us last year’s cerebral, thought-provoking thriller, Inception, even before directing other fantastic films like The Dark Knight or The Prestige, writer/director Christopher Nolan gave us 2000’s brain-exercise of a film, Memento.
A thoroughly unique experiment in filmmaking, Memento is a suspenseful thriller about a man, Leonard (Guy Pearce; The Hurt Locker), with a rare brain disorder that leaves him with no short term memory, unable to form new memories. The last thing he can remember is his wife being raped and murdered. With his mind on revenge, Leonard sets out to find someone called “John G.,” who he believes is his wife’s killer. But without his short term memory, Leonard is trapped in a world where he can’t remember anyone or anything beyond ten-minutes, and he becomes distrustful, paranoid, and even guilty without knowing why. He must use tattoos, polaroids, and notes to himself to remember where he is, who he knows, and who he can trust.
To bring us into Leonard’s world, Nolan uses the interesting device of starting the film at the end and moving backwards in time through a series of almost stop-and-go, flashback-like events. In other words, the film doesn’t just move backwards, but it moves simultaneously forwards and backwards. Nolan proved his mastery of handling nonlinear storytelling of the kind he would once again employ to a lesser extent in The Prestige and fully in Inception.
Video Quality
[Rating:5/5]
This 10th anniversary release of Memento arrives with a new, director-approved transfer from Lionsgate. It features an AVC/MPEG-4 1080p encodement of the film’s 2.35:1 framing. With textured detail, just the right amount of fine film grain, deep black levels and extended shadow details, Memento looks better than it ever has on any home video format. The midtones are nicely saturated and warm and white levels are strong without clipping. The transfer shows and ever-so-slight mount of source damage, but it is hardly noticeable.
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
The English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is dynamic and atmospheric. The surround channels are used to good effect for ambience, atmospherics, and discrete sounds effects, dialogue is clean in the center channel, and there is a wide spread across the front. Lows are tight and deep, but not necessarily resounding. High frequencies might be just a tad too tweaked, but other than that, the mix is very engaging and enjoyable to listen to.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:3/5]
Nolan offers an excellent audio commentary and there are plenty of related feaurettes and other bonuses, like the original short story that inspired the film, included here to make the $19.99 SRP more than a good value.
The supplements provided with this release are:
- Audio Commentary with Director Christopher Nolan
- Remembering Memento (1.78:1; 1080p/24; 0:07.44) – The director talks about his inspiration for the film.
- Anatomy of a Scene (1.33:1;480i/60; 0:25.15) – In the Sundance Channel special, the filmmakers discuss the unique challenges of creating Memento.
- IFC Interview with writer/director Christopher Nolan (1.33:1; 480i/60; 0:23.51) – In this IFC (Independent Film Channel) special, the director talks about the process of creating and filming Memento.
- Memento Mori Short Story – The original short story by Christopher Nolan’s brother Jonathan Nolan that inspired the film.
- Tattoo Sketches (1080p/24)
- Leonard’s Journal – Read through the protagonist’s journal.
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:4/5]
Memento is a thinking person’s thriller that even with its opening scene that begins at the end of the story offers many surprises that you won’t see coming, assuming you’ve never seen the film before. Even if you have seen Memento, its style is such that it is enjoyable on multiple views, and this superb director-approved high-definition transfer is the best way to see it. Highly recommended.
Additional Screen Captures:
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BestBuy.com:
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:4/5]
The Film
[Rating:4.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:3/5]