Here's the basic set-up of Memento: Guy Pearce plays Leonard, a man with short-term memory loss who is trying to avenge his wife's death. He believes she was killed in the same attack where he developed his condition. Over time he's developed a way to live and began to solve the mystery of who attacked him, a man named John G. To go deeper into the plot is tricky because of the narrative presentation. We're going to try and cut out the misdirection and run through the story as it happened chronologically. This should make the broad strokes and motivations of certain characters a little clearer. Bear in mind that through all this Leonard has little idea how he got into these situations. Events begin with Leonard in his motel room furthering his investigation for John G. He's figured out that the attacker was a drug dealer and, despite having tattooed a warning to the contrary on his arm, he talks with a cop on the phone. He meets with this cop, Officer Gammell although he's currently going by the name Teddy, who has tracked down a Jimmy Grantz he believes is the real John G. Leonard kills Jimmy and takes his clothes. It's at this point that Teddy explains to Leonard that he already got his man a year ago and that he's been using him to hunt down other nefarious J.G.s ever since. Leonard burns the evidence of having finished his mission and decides to frame Teddy, leaving notes for himself that implicate his friend as the attacker. Teddy implores Leonard to leave town, but instead he follows a note left in Jimmy's jacket to a bar where the deceased's girlfriend Natalie works. Once confirming Leonard does indeed have short-term memory loss, Natalie takes him home and manipulates him into dealing with Dodd, an acquaintance of Jimmy's who is looking for money. In recompense for Dodd Natalie helps Leonard solve the mystery he set himself, implicating Teddy as John G. The story ends/film begins with Leonard killing Teddy.
