Momento - A creative new idea that still grabs you

I recently decided to re-watch the movie "Memento" starring Guy Pierce. I had always loved the movie but couldn't figure out why I am always drawn back to it. Generally speaking I have spent hours pondering what it is that makes us like or dislike movies.  

What it all really boils down to is the design of the movie - that is, the way it's put together. In my pondering I have isolated a few key elements that seem to spell success and I came up  with a few guidelines.

1 - Content - To start with, any movie that is creative enough that I cannot predict it's path is off to a good start. I hate it when a movie is obvious and you know the ending a hour before you see it. It makes the movie extremely anti climactic which makes the lead up to the end boring. This leads to characteristic #2

2 - A good creative ending. I think many if not most movies can grab your attention most of the way through and keep you rolling along for awhile but it takes real talent to write a good, original ending that is not to "over the top" and works.

3 - Does it stick with you? I think this idea is often overlooked and people don't realize the importance. I have found that an original well done movie sticks with you and you find yourself thinking about it the next day and possibly the day after. The better the movie, the more you find your mind drifting back to it. If you are so intrigued that you watch it again then it has good "replay value" and that is hard to find in the video store.

Momento satisfies all these categories and more. The director Guy Ritchie came up with the pioneering new concept of filming the movie starting with the final scene and presetting the viewer with each scene in descending order leading back to the begging. The movie is a mystery and it's clear early on that there as been a murder and the lead character's wife has been killed and he is left with a brain injury that keeps him from storing any new memories. The filming style causes you to relate to the main character's confusion. You never now who to trust as the main character or hero heads bluntly through time trying to use his instincts and a series of permanent tattoos that list the clues he's found so far. To avoid spoiling the end I recommend picking up a copy. Or is it the beginning ?