Specchio della memoria

There have been harsh words about this "unforgettable",probably exaggerated.This could be some kind of update of "spellbound"(1945) and it recalls sometimes" D.O.A. "with Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan (1988) ,and even "Jennifer eight"(1992)with Andy Garcia (the latter for the murderer's identity).Except for Hitchcock's classic,of course , the movies I mention had disastrous reviews.And however,they have much more imaginative scripts than ,say,"die hard" (one,two or three,take your pick,they are interchangeable)

Script for "unforgettable" is more polished than it has been given credit for.It's stunning when,in the end,the two stories come together,this time recalling "dead again" (K.Brannagh ,1991),another movie with an unfairly mediocre reputation;only 2 stars and a half on the Maltin!OK ,the plot for "unforgettable" is far-fetched,but it has an intern logic,and anyway,is it less credible than B.Willis singlehandedly taming a whole bunch of terrorists ?(Die Hard is rated 3 stars!)

Ray Liotta is an actor whose parts are not always worthy of himself.He's convincing here:during the whole movie,his face remains sad,wistful,as if he were waging an almost lost war.He rarely smiles,except when he's with his daughters.Linda Fiorentino,once she's provided Liotta with her drug,is not very important for the action (definitely not Ingrid Bergman in "spellbound").And we will be very thankful to Dahl for sparing us the umpteenth love affair between the patient and his doctor.More,we have here a very original ending,marred by the syrupy eponymous song though.It might be a happy end,after all,and which justifies the title.

All in all,it's an entertaining movie,mixing smartly sci-fi,thriller,and whodunit.It could become a sleeper.

Ray Liotta is convincing enough in this mystery film with scifi overtones as Dr. Crane, an accused but acquitted suspect in his wife murder whom steals an experimental mind- expanding yet incredibly dangerous drug from scientist Marta Briggs (Linda Fiorentino) in order to solve the crime and deduce the true killer.

The film is able to keep up a tense mood throughout despite it's more fantastical conceits and I enjoyed myself. While it may be far from perfect (one or two of the supporting actors drop the ball, the movie as a whole seemed a touch derivative),, it's still perfectly adequate,

My Grade: C+

Where I saw it: Instant Netflix

Let me preface this review by saying this movie started off great with a great original idea. In fact the movie treaded on a good path besides a few stumbles here and there.

The movie is about a doctor, Doctor Krane (Ray Liotta), whose wife was murdered. The case was never solved although he was tried for the crime but acquitted. Later he comes across another doctor, Dr. Martha Briggs (Linda Fiorentino), who has a highly experimental drug that can transfer one person's memories to another person.

Well, Dr. Krane uses this drug to try to track down his wife's killer. At first the movie was rolling along fine, in fact is was down right captivating. But somewhere along the way it got predictable and then they didn't know how to end it. And when I say predictable, I mean reeeeally predictable.

This movie could have done itself justice by not being as long as it was and by not making the culprit so obvious. It made out to be just an average movie after all.

The best points of this sci-fi/mystery/thriller, I thought, were: 1 - very good suspense; 2 - a different-angle story; and 3 - an involving "whodunit" story; 4 - and a fast- moving for a two-hour film.

Another big plus: John Dahl directed this, and in his prime. This movie came on the heels of Kill Me Again, Red Rock West and The Last Seduction.....all of them very entertaining films.

This would be best for the first-time viewer, but I still have enjoyed it the three times I've seen it. I just wait about 4-5 years between viewings so as not to remember everything. One thing unusual: Linda Fiorentino actually plays a nice lady! Usually, she's brutal! Ray Liotta, Peter Coyote, Christopher McDonald and David Paymer all provide good male performances with Liotta playing the central character.

Be warned that this story is a bit unbelievable. It's pretty far out, and it can get on the gory side, but it's different and will keep your attention.

I do not know why people tend to rate this film low. Of course, I am slightly prejudiced as i always thought that Ray Liotta may be a cousin until I found out he was adopted. That doesn't take away the quality of his acting, especially in this film.

He really has to lay it on thick as he takes the mind of others through an experimental drug developed by Dr. Martha Briggs (Linda Fiorentino) in an effort to find out who killed his wife (Stellina Rusich).

Fiorentino (Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) does a really good job as the research scientist who helps him through his ordeal.

The film had other favorites: Kim Cattrall and Peter Coyote, who added to the mystery and suspense.

I really like Liotta for his range and you could do a lot worse than spend two hours with him as he catches a killer.