The movie that brought Christopher Nolan into the public eye, Memento, has been rightly hailed as a masterpiece. The superbly edited, non-linear tale of Guy Pearce’s amnesiac trying to solve his wife murder consistently finds itself on top of fans and critics favourite movies list fifteen years on, and is one movie that should never be remade. So, of course, its been targeted by the Hollywood Remake Machine, with AMBI pictures announcing that they have acquired the rights to the film, along with some other cult classics (which include Donnie Darko, Sliding Doors, and Cruel Intentions), with producer Andrea Lervolino saying:
Memento has been consistently ranked as one of the best films of its decade. People who’ve seen Memento 10 times still feel they need to see it one more time. This is a quality we feel really supports and justifies a remake. The bar is set high thanks to the brilliance of Christopher Nolan, but we wouldn’t want it any other way
Okay, I won’t get into how that statement in no way justifies a Memento remake. What it does say to me is they have the rights to an incredibly popular and financially successful movie ($40 million worldwide off a $9 million budget) and want a piece of the action. Memento was really a once in a lifetime movie, a unique storytelling idea brought to life with an amazing flair that will be impossible to replicate. I usually give most remakes the benefit of that doubt, but this time, I’m finding it very hard to see anything good coming out of this.
Memento has been consistently ranked as one of the best films of its decade. People who’ve seen Memento 10 times still feel they need to see it one more time. This is a quality we feel really supports and justifies a remake. The bar is set high thanks to the brilliance of Christopher Nolan, but we wouldn’t want it any other way
Okay, I won’t get into how that statement in no way justifies a Memento remake. What it does say to me is they have the rights to an incredibly popular and financially successful movie ($40 million worldwide off a $9 million budget) and want a piece of the action. Memento was really a once in a lifetime movie, a unique storytelling idea brought to life with an amazing flair that will be impossible to replicate. I usually give most remakes the benefit of that doubt, but this time, I’m finding it very hard to see anything good coming out of this.
