Lessons On Movies.com
  Free Handout + MP3 + 8 Online Quizzes on Memento

  GAMES:

  • Fill-in-the-blank
  • Matching
  • Hangman
  • Flash cards
  • Sentence jumble
  • Missing words
  • No letters
  • Crossword puzzle

Memento is a 2000 American psychological thriller and neo-noir film written and directed by Christopher Nolan. It was adapted from his younger brother Jonathan's short story, Memento Mori. The movie is presented as two different sequences of scenes: a series in black-and-white that are shown chronologically, and a series of color sequences shown in reverse order. The two sequences "meet" at the end of the film, producing one common story. It stars Guy Pearce as Leonard Shelby, a man with anterograde amnesia, which impairs his ability to store new memories. The opening credits show the end of the story, when Leonard commits murder. This killing is probably Leonard's revenge for the rape and murder of his wife.

Memento premiered on September 5, 2000, at the Venice International Film Festival to critical acclaim. It received a similar response when it was released in European theaters starting in October 2000. Critics especially praised its unique, nonlinear storytelling structure and its treatment of the themes of memory, perception, grief, self-deception, and revenge. The film was successful at the box office and received numerous accolades, including Academy Award nominations for Original Screenplay and Film Editing. It didn't win any Oscars, but won 13 awards for Best Screenplay and five awards for Best Picture from various film critic associations and festivals.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memento_%28film%29

  TRAILER AND POSTER

MEMENTO POSTER

1. SIX WORDS: Look at the poster and write down six words (more if you like) that you think of as you look at it. Share the words with your partner(s). Why did you choose them?

2. STORY: Talk about what you think the story of the movie is – the start, beginning, end, etc. Change partners and share stories.

3. CREDITS: Look at the credits on the poster (the actors, director, producer…) and talk about them with your partner(s).

4. MUST-SEE: Talk with your partner(s) about whether the poster and movie title are good and make you want to see the movie.

5. STARRING YOU: Imagine you are one of the stars of the movie. Talk about your role with your movie star partner(s).

MEMENTO TRAILER

1. RETELL: Watch the trailer and retell what you saw to your partner(s).

2. CHUNKS: Watch 10-to-15 second chunks of the trailer and retell what you saw to your partner(s).

3. QUIZ: Watch the trailer and write down some quiz questions for your partner(s). Watch a second time to find the answers to the questions.

4. VOCABULARY: Make a note of words in the trailer that you see or hear. Talk about them with your partner(s).

5. GOOD / BAD: Watch the trailer and write down why you think the film might be good or bad. Share your ideas with your partner(s).

  MATCHING

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	adapted	a.	in order of time
2	sequences	b.	retaliation
3.	chronologically	c.	assorted
4.	impairs	d.	modified
5.	revenge	e.	answer
6.	acclaim	f.	one-of-a-kind
7.	response	g.	timelines
8.	unique	h.	praise
9.	accolades	i.	weakens
10.	various	j.	awards

PHRASE MATCH

1.	psychological	a.	storytelling
2	a series of color sequences	b.	murder of his wife
3.	impairs his ability to	c.	critic associations
4.	the opening	d.	store new memories
5.	revenge for the rape and	e.	shown in reverse order
6.	critical	f.	numerous accolades
7.	It received a similar response	g.	credits
8.	praised its unique, nonlinear	h.	thriller
9.	successful at the box office and received	i.	acclaim
10.	various film	j.	when it was released

  LISTENING / READING GAP FILL

Memento is a 2000 American (1) ______________________________-noir film written and directed by Christopher Nolan. It was adapted from his younger brother Jonathan's short story, Memento Mori. The movie is presented (2) ______________________________ scenes: a series in black-and-white (3) ______________________________, and a series of color (4) ______________________________. The two sequences "meet" at the end of the film, producing one common story. It stars Guy Pearce as Leonard Shelby, a man with anterograde amnesia, which impairs his ability to store new memories. The (5) ______________________________ of the story, when Leonard commits murder. This killing is probably Leonard's revenge (6) ______________________________.

Memento premiered on September 5, 2000, at the Venice International Film Festival to critical acclaim. (7) ______________________________ when it was released in European theaters starting in October 2000. Critics especially praised its (8) ______________________________ structure and its treatment (9) ______________________________, grief, self-deception, and revenge. The film was (10) ______________________________ and received numerous accolades, including Academy Award nominations for    (11) ______________________________. It didn't win any Oscars, but won 13 awards for Best Screenplay and five awards for Best Picture from various (12) ______________________________.

  CORRECT THE SPELLING

Paragraph 1
1.	ycoclpolashig thriller
2.	two different usqsnceee
3.	shown in svrreee order
4.	sipraim his ability to store new memories
5.	gnionpe credits
6.	This killing is probably Leonard's regneev
Paragraph 2
7.	Memento mperridee on September 5
8.	critical mailcac
9.	its unique, nleoarinn storytelling
10.	its naemrttet of the themes of memory, perception…
11.	received uoseumnr accolades
12.	film critic isscnaoasoti

  PUNCTUATE & PUT CAPITALS IN THE TEXT

memento is a 2000 american psychological thriller and neo-noir film written and directed by christopher nolan it was adapted from his younger brother jonathan's short story memento mori the movie is presented as two different sequences of scenes a series in black-and-white that are shown chronologically and a series of color sequences shown in reverse order the two sequences "meet" at the end of the film producing one common story it stars guy pearce as leonard shelby a man with anterograde amnesia which impairs his ability to store new memories the opening credits show the end of the story when leonard commits murder this killing is probably leonard's revenge for the rape and murder of his wife

memento premiered on september 5 2000 at the venice international film festival to critical acclaim it received a similar response when it was released in european theaters starting in october 2000 critics especially praised its unique nonlinear storytelling structure and its treatment of the themes of memory perception grief self-deception and revenge the film was successful at the box office and received numerous accolades including academy award nominations for original screenplay and film editing it didn't win any oscars but won 13 awards for best screenplay and five awards for best picture from various film critic associations and festivals

  INSERT THE VOWELS

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M_m_nt_ pr_m__r_d _n S_pt_mb_r 5, 2000, _t th_ V_n_c_ _nt_rn_t__n_l F_lm F_st_v_l t_ cr_t_c_l _ccl__m. _t r_c__v_d _ s_m_l_r r_sp_ns_ wh_n _t w_s r_l__s_d _n __r_p__n th__t_rs st_rt_ng _n _ct_b_r 2000. Cr_t_cs _sp_c__lly pr__s_d _ts _n_q__, n_nl_n__r st_ryt_ll_ng str_ct_r_ _nd _ts tr__tm_nt _f th_ th_m_s _f m_m_ry, p_rc_pt__n, gr__f, s_lf-d_c_pt__n, _nd r_v_ng_. Th_ f_lm w_s s_cc_ssf_l _t th_ b_x _ff_c_ _nd r_c__v_d n_m_r__s _cc_l_d_s, _ncl_d_ng _c_d_my _w_rd n_m_n_t__ns f_r _r_g_n_l Scr__npl_y _nd F_lm _d_t_ng. _t d_dn't w_n _ny _sc_rs, b_t w_n 13 _w_rds f_r B_st Scr__npl_y _nd f_v_ _w_rds f_r B_st P_ct_r_ fr_m v_r___s f_lm cr_t_c _ss_c__t__ns _nd f_st_v_ls.

  MARK THE SPACES

Mementoisa2000Americanpsychologicalthrillerandneo-
noirfilmwrittenanddirectedbyChristopherNolan.Itwasadaptedfromh
isyoungerbrotherJonathan'sshortstory,MementoMori.Themovieispr
esentedastwodifferentsequencesofscenes:aseriesinblack-and-
whitethatareshownchronologically,andaseriesofcolorsequencessho
wninreverseorder.Thetwosequences"meet"attheendofthefilm,prod
ucingonecommonstory.ItstarsGuyPearceasLeonardShelby,amanwi
thanterogradeamnesia,whichimpairshisabilitytostorenewmemories
.Theopeningcreditsshowtheendofthestory,whenLeonardcommitsm
urder.ThiskillingisprobablyLeonard'srevengefortherapeandmurder
ofhiswife.MementopremieredonSeptember5,2000,attheVeniceInte
rnationalFilmFestivaltocriticalacclaim.Itreceivedasimilarresponsew
henitwasreleasedinEuropeantheatersstartinginOctober2000.Critics
especiallypraiseditsunique,nonlinearstorytellingstructureanditstrea
tmentofthethemesofmemory,perception,grief,selfdeception,andre
venge.Thefilmwassuccessfulattheboxofficeandreceivednumerousa
ccolades,includingAcademyAwardnominationsforOriginalScreenpla
yandFilmEditing.Itdidn'twinanyOscars,butwon13awardsforBestScr
eenplayandfiveawardsforBestPicturefromvariousfilmcriticassociatio
nsandfestivals.

  DISCUSSION (Write your own questions)

STUDENT A's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	__________________________________________________________________
2.	__________________________________________________________________
3.	__________________________________________________________________
4.	__________________________________________________________________
5.	__________________________________________________________________
6.	__________________________________________________________________

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

STUDENT B's QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	__________________________________________________________________
2.	__________________________________________________________________
3.	__________________________________________________________________
4.	__________________________________________________________________
5.	__________________________________________________________________
6.	__________________________________________________________________

  MEMENTO SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about Memento in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	Student 1 __________	Student 2 __________	Student 3 __________
Q1.
Q2.
Q3.
Q4.
Q5.

• Now return to your original partner and share and talk about what you found out. Change partners often.
• Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

  WRITING

Write your own movie review. Show your partner your letter. Correct each other's work.

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

  HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET INFO: Search the Internet and find more information about "Memento". Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about "Memento". What are (did) critics and moviegoers saying (say) about it? How good were the actors' performances? What was good and bad about the movie? Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

4. "MEMENTO" POSTER: Make a poster about "Memento". Make sure you put tag lines, audience and critics' reviews, why people should see it, etc.  Show it to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your posters.

5. MY PREQUEL / SEQUEL: Make your own prequel or sequel for  "Memento". Make sure there is a good mix of things to do. Find some good online activities. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback.

6. CHARACTER STORY: Choose one of the characters from the movie. Imagine you are that character. Write your story about what you did in the movie. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback.

7. ONLINE SHARING: Use your blog, wiki, Facebook page, Twitter stream, or any other social media tool to get opinions on "Memento". Share your findings with the class.

  ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH

1.	adapted	a.	modified
2	sequences	b.	timelines
3.	chronologically	c.	in order of time
4.	impairs	d.	weakens
5.	revenge	e.	retaliation
6.	acclaim	f.	praise
7.	response	g.	answer
8.	unique	h.	one-of-a-kind
9.	accolades	i.	awards
10.	various	j.	assorted

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Please check for yourself by looking at the movie review article at the top of the page.
(It's good for your English ;-)