Sophie's father Jack has created a device that snugly sits on the ear and helps you recall only your most pleasant memories with the help of a smart phone app, and makes those memories even more vivid than they would normally be. This device promises to be extremely lucrative, Sophie soon finds that things are not as they seem after she gets in a car accident and kidnapped suddenly, her memories seem to not be what she thought they were.
I was looking for a science fiction film when I ran across this, while it certainly involves science fiction, it is more of a movie about how we deal with painful memories than anything. We don't get all of the answers by the end of this film, and I don't think that's the point, in fact, having suffered a good deal of trauma throughout my life, sometimes, you find out you actually never wanted the answers once you have them, this film illustrates that very well. I would classify this as slow-paced mystery/thriller with science fiction elements.
It is slow-paced, it is very quiet, and doesn't rush anything, it picks up considerably in the last 20 minutes, but even then, it almost feels very dream-like, but which fits with it being a movie about memory and remembering. The visuals are beautiful, the acting, if slightly wooden occasionally, by the leads Aja Naomi King, Colm Feore, and Gary Dourdan, is still generally effective and well-done. Amanda Plummer does show up late in the film, and as she always is, is the brightest spot in the film, a bit over-the-top, yes, but in the best way possible, I really wish he character was expounded upon a bit more, there was clearly a lot more going on there than was shown. The music is well-placed and not over done, the sound effects for the Ubli(don't know if that is how it is spelled) are well-done, and the visual effects, and the design of the Ubli are well-done as well.
The script, while constructed fairly well, and it did keep me guessing, could have been a bit stronger, at least in regards to the characterization of the main character's father and Amanda Plummer's character, those are two elements, if enhanced, I believe would have made this a stronger movie. I did, however, enjoy the scripts focus on trauma and memory, and it did stayed focused without going off on useless rabbit trails, though Amanda Plummer's character certainly could have added a little more to that theme of trauma and how it effects the memory as well. If you have ever suffered trauma, I think this film will really resonate with you, it certainly did with me. There were a few things about Sophie I wish I understood as well, such as, what was she like before the traumatic incident, in more detail, we only get a very brief flash on the incident itself, understanding what caused it probably would have helped it pack ore punch.
While far from perfect, it is an effective film, and far better than the 5.7 rating it has, it just isn't a movie for everybody, it is not a film with a lot of action, though it does have a few moments of action here and there. It has a strong, but sensitive female lead who is a fairly complex character, which is very refreshing to see. Unfortunately, I can only recommend this to people who don't mind a slow-pace and a thoughtful film, but if you liked films such as "Final Cut", "Time Lapse", or "The Signal", all of which have a similar pace and feel, there is a very good chance that you will enjoy this. If you like your pace fast and action constant, I would stay away from this one at all cost.
