Memento DVD racks mind

The Memento (Limited Edition) DVD is so complicated that it may make the most impassive viewers weep forlornly. It sure is cool, though. Memento, for those who have been studying abroad on Pluto, is the model of great writing and direction from Christopher Nolan, who also helmed the low-budget film Following and, more recently, Insomnia. The film's protagonist Leonard Shelby (Guy Pierce) has a problem. He awakes every morning in an unfamiliar place remembering only that his wife was raped and murdered in his home by an intruder. Due to a blow to the head he sustained during the assault, Leonard has a rare condition that left him without a short-term memory. The condition has not, however, left Leonard without a lust for revenge. Using annotated Polaroids, an intricate system of notes and tattoos of important facts all over his body, Leonard reminds himself every day to pursue his wife's killer. The story itself is excellent with its originality and many amazing twists, but presentation is what really makes the film astonishing. As Nolan explains in a special segment on the DVD, he wanted to somehow put the viewer in Leonard's place. He accomplishes this by presenting the story backwards - the movie begins with Leonard's revenge. By doing this, the viewer, like Leonard, never knows what happened prior to the current scene. Additionally, there are scenes with a black and white documentary look and feel that explain Leonard's condition in more detail. Like the film, everything about this DVD is complex. The difficulty begins with the tricky task of getting into the case, which resembles a file folder. But once in, the special features literally pour out in the form of some nifty little note sheets and a note on accessing the movie. On the first of the two disks is the film itself. On the second disk are the special features, which include theatrical trailers, commentary by Nolan, the Anatomy of a Scene Sundance Channel documentary, Nolan's shooting script, the original short story written by Nolan's brother Jonathan, production stills, international art and some hidden features. Among the hidden features is a chronological version of the film. To access these features, one must navigate through a series of psychological questions. In order to access the special hidden features, one must answer the questions in a particular way, which takes an eternity to figure out. (A nice "shortcut" is to seek the correct answers on the Internet.) While the DVD is loaded with a plethora of entertainment, trying to navigate one's way through can get very frustrating very fast. Moreover, the way to the hidden features is kind of anticlimactic since it is based more on luck than on problem-solving skills. Regardless, this limited edition is essential for the fanatical Memento fan. Those who just want to watch the movie would be well-advised to save time, trouble and money by purchasing the regular edition. Rating: A-