Anna

Based on the reviews of this movie that I read on this site, I went into this film with high hopes. 90 minutes later,I was truly perplexed as to what all the buzz was about. Maybe films today are so bad that even "average" rates as "very good"? Well, I don't know, and while the film was not a total waste of time, it had little to offer,and was not as half as interesting as the reviews had lead me to believe it would be. The good: The beginning of the movie is very well set up: the movie takes place in the not too distant future where there are people who have the ability to recover and view the memories of others. The protagonist of the movie is a broken down memory reader in need of money and so he goes back to his old employer in search of a job.He is given a "simple" assignment: get a very precocious teenager to eat. But said teenager is *very* smart and not what she appears to be... Both the male lead (the returning memory recovery expert) and female lead ("Anna",the teenager) are played very well. The bad: Very convoluted plot, which devised to make the movie intriguing,in the end was a little over the top and maybe too clever for its own good. The ugly: The ending. Much ado about nothing. I was surprised that after all the complex twists and turns in the move it all came down to (what was in my opinion) an ending that is simple but unfortunately didn't really make much sense.

Memory detectives have the ability to enter their client's memories. The largest memory detective agency is Mindscape run by Sebastian (Brian Cox). John Washington (Mark Strong) is one of the best but he had a break down. He needs the money and returns for another job. Sebastian gives him the supposed easy case of gifted Anna Greene (Taissa Farmiga) who refuses to eat. Her mother Michelle (Saskia Reeves) and stepfather Robert (Richard Dillane) are one of the richest family. Judith (Indira Varma) monitors Anna 24/7. As John dives into her memories, it becomes questionable what is the real truth.

I like the overall paranoid feel. However there seems to be some easier detective work that could provide proof outside of his memory work. I keep thinking that there are missing pieces or avenues in the movie. I don't know why John is not more suspicious of Anna. The final scheme is so convoluted and specific that it's unlikely to work out exactly like that. The writing by the Holmes need a few more passes and maybe by a fresh pair of eyes. Jorge Dorado is trying to step up to the big director's chair and delivers a workmanlike effort. Taissa Farmiga is intriguing and Strong is effective. However the script is not quite right. The idea itself is not particularly new but I do like the Hitchcockian feel. The final twist is obvious before the reveal but I still like it. The movie could be much better.

Summary: Mindscape is a decent thriller that delivers some twists and surprises. 70/100 (B-)

A man with the ability to enter peoples' memories takes on the case of a brilliant, troubled sixteen-year-old girl to determine whether she is a sociopath or a victim of trauma. I saw some of the trailers and they were very interesting to me, however in spite of its boring trailers, I saw the movie and I really liked it. It may be predictable for some people but not to me. The premise is interesting and the cast did an awesome job during the whole film.

The entire cast is so damn talented, Taissa Farmiga (American Horror Story) and Mark Strong (Kick-Ass) did an amazing job here. Moving on, the concept is awesome and original to me but I have some issues with the script, because some of the dialog was predictable and the film becomes somewhat silly in its third act. Anyway, the most interesting elements in Mindscape are all the "visions" that the film shows us, some of them are very disturbing and strange.

The movie cares about its characters and their previous story. In addition, all of these characters are very well developed. I actually felt sorry for Anna's character, her story is quite sad; also, Taissa Farmiga does an excellent job performing Anna's role. Moving on, the film keeps you guessing the whole time and I liked that; you don't trust in some of these characters and you don't know if Anna is crazy or she's just an innocent girl.

It is entertaining and it makes sense. Another thing that I like about it is the ending, Mindscape ended up being entertaining, interesting, different, well filmed and superbly acted; in spite of some weak dialog and a messy final act. Its final act has its ups and downs, but the last 5 minutes are quite good, the ending is perfect and well done. I also loved the art design of the end credits. I think that it deserves at least a 7/10 rating, it's a very underrated flick. (B-)

This is a highly suspenseful and cerebral mystery , filled with red herrings , twists and turns . This is a thrilling Spain/Britain co-production being well paced , intriguing and skillfully made . It is an agreeable if overly familiar story about a "memory detective" charged with rummaging through the repressed recall of a troubled young woman accused of a terrible crime . The producer/director Jaume Collet-Serra who made successes such as Orphan, Unknown, Non-Stop brings us another stirring picture , ¨Mindscape¨ or ¨Anna¨. Exciting and moving picture with a complex intrigue , nice character studio , suspense , a lot of killings and full of flashbacks with a peculiar spectator : the same protagonist John/Mark Strong . As its deals with John, a mind detective (Mark Strong, in his first leading role in a feature film), plays paid to enter people's memories and uncover the reality behind their alleged crimes . As John enters her mind and becomes more involved in her sometimes brutal memories , he must decide if she is indeed the victim of unspeakable trauma or a very clever and manipulative sociopath . With a combination of hand-holding and a little bit of coaxing he can enter a person's memories, whether they be formative or traumatic, and while he can't interact with them his observations reveal information that can be used later in therapy or criminal trials . Due to a traumatizing event in his past that ends up coming back to haunt him, and ultimately negatively affecting a session . But what will he make of his new assignment, the brilliant but troubled teenager Anna ? (Taissa Farmiga as Anna, as the picture is known here in the States, is called by its original title of Mindscape) .

Jorge Dorado's brain-twisting horror-thriller , from the beginning, the film keeps the audience interested, hooking you immediately with a strong start . The film contains tension , thriller , drama , mystery and plot twists , including decent suspense with tense sequences especially in its final part , in a unexpected denouement , near of the end . Decent thriller in which nothing is the way it seems , the atmosphere is already tense and the twists and turns are the best part of this movie . Hitchcock-style psychological thriller , being surprisingly realized and compellingly designed ; however this efficient production no match for a forgettable screenplay. There is something riveting about the concept of a person with the ability to get into another person's mind, with also having the ability to experience their memories , as the film is an experience, full of the thrill of a universe that involves memory detective agencies . The original as well as entertaining idea is overspread throughout the movie , but not totally satisfactory , including conventional pitfalls and the flick attempts to get you in the mood for some memory-scouring detective work . Mindscape is a suspenseful horror with a fantastic twist , though also packs some flaws and gaps . The motion picture is pretty well , although sometimes stagy and packs excessive turns ; however is entertaining for continuous suspense . The story is narrated by means of flashbacks about past and present , realizing a complex as well as interesting crossover . The film was noteworthy for casting some of the finest actors in England . Nice acting by Mark Strong as a memory detective with the ability to assist in solving crimes by getting into the minds of witnesses . Anna is played with effortless panache by one of America's best upcoming talents - "American Horror Story's" Taissa Farmiga . Very good support cast gives good acting such as Brian Cox , Albert Amman, Indira Varma , Saskia Reeves , Antonia Clarke , Richard Dillane and Noah Taylor . Sinister and mysterious atmosphere including a colorful cinematography , as it is finely photographed by cameraman Oscar Faura . Suspenseful and stirring musical score Lucas Vidal

The film was well produced by various producers ,Jaume Collet-Serra , Maria Contreras , Tom Drumm ,M.A. Faura , Mercedes Gamero ,Nathalie Marciano , Peter Safran and Juan Sola , all of them have produced a lot of successes in the new Spanish/British cinema . Being professionally directed by Jorge Dorado . The movie will appeal to suspense buffs and Mark Strong/Taissa Farmiga fans . Rating : 6 ; acceptable and passable . It's well worth watching and contains some really thrilling scenes and suspenseful images .

This movie has one of the best openings ever, thrilling,containing a lot of suspense and well directed, which could also be said about the movie as a whole. The lead actors were quite excellent as well. The movie effortlessly keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout...going into one dimension into another,demanding your focus and attention. So it isn't wishful thinking to expect a great ending leaving an impact on you, but I guess it was. The series of plots and twists in the movie can become a bit too much towards the middle,but it gets on its track later...only to fall over a cliff and crash into the ground at the end. Yep,that's how bad it gets!! Psychological thrillers require a bit of in-depth thinking and attention to enjoy and so does 'Anna'...a great ending could have made this movie a masterpiece but it wasn't meant to be. I would still recommend it if you are into psychological thrillers but do not have high expectations.