When a movie starts out with a Polaroid photo undeveloping right before your eyes, and an event that just happened is shown in reverse, you know you're in for a non-standard movie. Such is the case with Memento.

Guy Pearce plays a man who has lost the ability to form new memories since the invasion of his home some time in the past. That event led to the death of his wife, and he's determined to find the man responsible and deliver his revenge personally. The only problem is, he can't remember things for more than a few minutes.

This leads him to take Polaroid photos and to take notes of things in his own writing (which is the only writing he can trust), even resorting to tatooing himself with the most important facts of his life. It also opens the opportunity for others to take advantage of him, so he is understandably paranoid and trusts only himself and his notes.

After you're finished watching the movie, it takes a while for the events to sink in, because the entire movie is told in reverse. You see the ending right away, and then are taken back, scenes at a time, filling in the blanks as it goes on. This kind of disorientation helps the viewer understand the plight of Pearce's character.

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