Written and Directed by Christopher Nolan.

Starring - Guy Pearce, Joe Pantoliano and Carrie-Anne Moss.

I happened on this great little film a few days ago, starring Guy Pearce (LA Confidential, or Mike from Neighbours to all our British and Australian readers) as Leonard, a man on the trail of his wife's killer.

Two things stop Memento descending into any standard noir (black) thriller. The first is the story, told in a series of flashbacks, although we're never completely sure that we're seeing them in the correct order. This style was used to great effect in Brian Singer's "The Usual Suspects" and kept the audience guessing until the final reel, as it does in "Memento."

The second, and most important, device concerns Leonard (Pearce, who is maturing into one of the best young actors in Hollywood) who has been suffering from short-term memory loss since the death of his wife. Leonard finds a trail, gets leads, meets people and has to constantly write notes and take photographs before the events terminally fade. Eventually he tattoos his body with names and clues, waking up every morning as if his wife has just been killed, then looking into the mirror and piecing everything together for the umpteenth time.

Fortunately, Leonard has a confidant in the Police force who feeds him tantalising snippets about the identity of the murderer. He travels far from home meeting friend and foe in a desperate cycle of blind alleys and ultimately finding solid clues and evidence. The film twists, turns, and plays with it's audience's perceptions from the beginning - I won't reveal the ending.

I found Memento to be confidently directed, well written and very well acted, with a pace that never relents although its violence and strong language make it unsuitable for younger/easily offended viewers. If you suspend belief and let yourself into Leonard's spiralling out-of-control life, you will enjoy Memento - it's not a classic but very cleverly done and worth renting or catching on television.

One thing bothered me, how does Leonard remember that he suffers from short-term memory loss? Oh well, that's Hollywood!