MEMENTO

[A.J. Ager]

The other night I was flipping around the tube and ran across one of my favorite movies ever Memento. I believe that anybody who is looking to become a screenwriter should watch and study with this movie. For those who haven't seen this flick, it is a movie by Christopher Nolan about a man with amnesia who is trying to solve his wife's murder. The story is actually told chronilogically backwards. Now I happen to agree that all screenwriters should learn the three act structure inside and out. What I think is interesting is that this is a three act structure even though the story is told backwards. You find out the same items, with the same plot points, and the whole story is told in three act fashion. Those who can tell a story and twist it like this is a great trick and a great toy. Young screenwriters too often try to remake Pulp Fiction and their movies look forced and unwatchable. The three act structure are the basics that should be learned and how someone tweaks this is where the entertainment comes from.