Remember

There have been a lot of movies about the Holocaust in the last couple of years, some very good. But none have had the suspenseful screenplay of Remember. This movie is one of the best efforts from director Atom Egoyan since he showed such promise with The Sweet Hereafter in the late 1990s. Perhaps the secret here was his using someone else's screenplay rather than his own.

Excellently acted (when is Christopher Plummer not excellent?), staged, and filmed, and edited down to a taut 95 minutes, this film succeeds not "merely" as a Holocaust reminder but as a self-contained thriller: an engrossing and ultimately thoroughly satisfying piece of cinema.

In a striking similarity to Memento, a forgetful man wanders around with one goal of finding the men from his past. This is not the ordinary thriller as it's significantly slower with a peculiar lead character, yet it's surprisingly just as effective as any high octane action . The journey is not a happy one, and it builds audience's expectation in clever way that when the goal is reached, none of the outcomes seems to be pleasant.

Zev (Christopher Plummer) is an old man with dementia. After the death of his wife, his friend hands him a letter containing a mission to find the men from Auschwitz. Christopher Plummer is truly exceptional, he displays the courage as though his character is a secret agent despite deep down he's plagued with terror and uncertainty. His often meek demeanor is sympathetic to watch, but at the same time one can invest in his endeavor and motive.

The visual and audio are designed to create suspense even in trivial moments. Its main focus is a man with dementia, and little things might rattle him, so any bump in the trip proves to be challenging. Acting from the rest of cast is commendable. Characters would most likely help Zev, yet there's an unsettling feeling that their reactions can be antagonistic, especially since Zev is not particularly suave with words.

It plays with the awkward situation really well with the solemn music and view of scenery that feels darker even though it never literally becomes that way. On the other hand, this could also hamper the pace. This is far from action thriller, more investment is made towards the drama instead of gun-slinging action.

Zev's adventure is a bizarre and slow one, it's an ironic tale of both kindness and cruelty of others. Unsettling yet charming in its somber steps.

I'd caution people to not read any of these reviews that contain spoilers, because they will rob you of a captivating movie experience. This is one movie, believe me, where you do not want to know how it comes out until the movie itself has a chance to tell its tale, much Like "Crying Game" some years ago. I cannot understand people who do this, self-appointed film "experts" who have decided that you do not deserve to let the movie speak for itself. They're like people who blab about surprise parties, or who say "Now watch this!" loudly in a theater. This movie is as well-written and directed as anything you're likely to see this year, and to know too much beforehand robs you of a rare cinematic experience.

I didn't have many expectations when I started watching the movie. I am particularly interested in WWII movies, and I have watched many movies that deal with the Nazi period. However, this one goes beyond that typical movie. We get to know a man with dementia trying to avenge the death of his family. We start off an interesting idea. The hour went by quickly, as we go into the depth of this revenge. However, it is the ending that takes it all. It left me speechless and at the same time, left me thinking, reflecting on every character and situation. If you're in doubt whether to watch it or not, let me advise you: watch it, you won't regret it. However, be ready to explore some deep thoughts afterward.

I began watching Remember with no great expectations; I thought I'd watch the first 20 minutes or so, and if it seemed promising, I'd come back to it at a later time perhaps.

You will already be aware of the plot/story-line from other reviews etc...; but for those who have not yet seen it, it has a beautiful way of drawing you in somehow. Beautifully written, yet powerful; I found I was becoming so immersed in the movie that there would be no 'coming back to it later'.

Casting and acting are excellent all-round, in what turned out to be perhaps one of the best films I've seen over the past 18 months or so.

There's very little else I can say regarding the film other than 'watch it'... it's excellent.

9/10