Synopses & Reviews
From the creators of Fargo and O Brother, Where Art Thou? From the Coen brothers, "two of our most dependably provocative filmmakers" (Mike Clark, USA Today), comes a darkly funny thriller that harkens back to their earlier classics such as Blood Simple, Miller's Crossing, and Barton Fink.
Set in 1950s California, the film stars Billy Bob Thornton as Ed, a mild-mannered barber whose wife, Doris (Frances McDormand), is having an affair with her department store boss, Big Dave. Although Ed is initially apathetic about his wife's adultery, his life is turned upside down when one of his customers tells him about "the biggest business opportunity since Henry Ford"-dry cleaning-and he decides to blackmail Big Dave for the venture capital to start a chain. From there things go horribly wrong: Dave discovers Ed's identity as the blackmailer and tries to strangle Ed, who winds up killing Dave in self-defense, yet, ironically, it's Doris who the police arrest for the murder. As Ed tries to figure out what to do next his world begins to unravel, piece by piece.
Full of the same kind of slow-burn character studies, biting humor, and pitch-perfect dialogue that their fans have come to love, the Coen brothers' latest film is sure to take a place among their finest work.
Review
"This jolting jigsaw puzzle of a movie grabs you and won't
let go." (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone)
Synopsis
The screenplay for the cult film that took British audiences by storm.
Memento is a remarkably layered, psychological-puzzle film that explores the narrative possibilities of noir, turning its detective into a surrogate for the spectator while forcing the audience to embark on the same kind of sleuthing its main character is involved in. Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) is a former insurance investigator who since his wife's rape and apparent murder has suffered from a condition that renders him unable to form new memories. Despite his affliction, he's vowed to find his wife's killer and keeps track of his search with scribbled notes, Polaroids, clues tattooed on his body, and sheaves of documents. But as the film progresses everything Leonard holds as fact is undermined in a heart-pounding narrative that will keep audiences guessing until the final reel -- and beyond.
Also contained in this volume is the screenplay for Following, Christopher Nolan's critically acclaimed debut. The film follows an aspiring writer who finds an unlikely ally in a burglar who claims he breaks into houses only to experience other people's lives.
About the Author
Joel and Ethan Coen have made nine critically acclaimed feature films together. The recipients of numerous awards, they received an Academy Award for Best Screenplay in 1997 for
Fargo.