De zaak Alzheimer

I don't know what the problem is with Belgium. For some reason or another almost no-one seems to make movies over here. If you compare it to Spain or France (just to name two other European countries) the number of movies made over here really is awfully low. The directors always complain that they don't have the money to make big productions, that the country is too small for real success... Nonsense, a good movie doesn't have to cost all that much and can still have a lot of success as De Zaak Alzheimer (or the Alzheimer Case for the people who don't speak Dutch) proved.

The movie is based on a novel written by Jef Geeraerts, one of Belgium's best writers when it comes to crime novels. Having read several of his books, I can assure you that the man is a good observer who really knows what he's talking about. For instance the hatred and envy between the different police forces isn't just made up by the writer. Every Belgian can assure you that it is really a big problem sometimes.

The story is about a professional hit-man who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. He isn't able to remember any details, so he writes everything down on his arm. When he's hired to kill a 12 year old girl who was the victim of pedophiles, he doesn't do his job, but goes after the bad guys.

If a Spanish or French director made this movie, this would have been a huge success all over the world. Now the movie went by rather unnoticed. OK, here it was a huge success, but I'm sure that most people in other countries haven't heard of it before. Still this may well be called one of the best movies in Belgian history. It's true that it has a big American feeling, but that didn't bother me once and I heard that Hollywood is planning a remake of this movie, so Van Looy must have done something right. I give it an 8,5/10.

An old hit man must battle the effects of Alzheimer's disease while staying one step ahead of a corrupt and bureaucratic Belgian police force. Van Looy has created a slickly entertaining film, but in the end it feels like empty calories, with too much style and little substance. The representation of Alzheimer moments using a weird green tint becomes annoying, as it doesn't really serve any purpose. The film moves at a fast clip but loses momentum about two-thirds of the way through and then goes on a bit too long. Decleir gives a good performance as the killer. The running gag about people urinating into the locks of BMWs is meant to be hilarious but is simply lame.

If, like me, you don't know what country "Flemish cinema" refers to, then read on. Yeah, I'm one of those dimwits like Joey on Friends when they tell him Dutch people live in the Netherlands, and he says "no, that's where Peter Pan came from." Suffice it to say this was the first Belgian film I've ever seen, and I was really impressed. It's stylish, polished, has a lush musical score, and features a lot of actors who seem really human. Even the minor roles were well played.

I'm not usually a fan of crime thrillers, but this one drew me in with its interesting premise: a hero who's losing his memory. In that respect, reminded me of the excellent Tom Tykwer film "Winter Sleepers" (1997), except this film is driven by a faster, more action-oriented plot and pace.

There's a lot going on here. Just when you think it's over, a new drama comes into the mix, making it unpredictable until the end. The director effectively used a lot of suspense tricks which will make you say "aha, you got me!" For example (though this was not used in this movie), a cat might jump out at the perfect moment to give your heart a little leap. In hindsight it's silly, but you can't deny it works. So bear in mind, this is definitely a movie for people who enjoy being taken for a ride. In the same vein, I think the director intentionally uses some standard clichés, almost in a playful way. If you approach this movie with the idea of having a fun time, you won't be disappointed.

Final note: I think it helps to be a little familiar with Belgian culture, which I'm not. I could tell the characters switch languages between different variations of Dutch/Flemish, French, and snippets of English, and I think that's significant. Some of the settings are breathtaking, and I found myself saying "wow, that place is cool! I wonder where that is". In all, this is a film that Belgium can be very proud of, and I hope to see more like it in the future.

This Belgian film was titled "The Memory of A Killer" when it played in Austin in September. Known in Europe as "The Alzheimer Case," it's a police procedural about an aging hit man with early Alzheimer's who agrees to complete what he knows is his last assignment. Movies featuring a character with Alzheimer's are often somber, bittersweet weepers. "The Memory of a Killer" is nothing like that.

It's a taut, fast-paced noir with a protagonist who lives by the same code as that of Alain Delon in Jean Pierre Melville's "Le Samourai" or Jean Gabin in "Touchez Pas Au Grisbi." The hit man Angelo Ledda is portrayed by Belgian actor Jan Decleir. He won his country's top acting award and other European festival honors for his nuanced, empathic performance.

How Ledda knows what's happening to his mind is explained in a way totally credible to anyone who has known someone suffering from this disease. Even as his mind slips away, he retains his morality about certain crimes and that code eventually sends him in directions that surprise and anger his employer. Ledda's crimes and related crimes drive two police investigators - and Ledda - in a race against time. The plot threads become as tangled and mysterious as the tangles in Ledda's diseased mind and unravel in a stunning conclusion.

This film was made by Belgian director Erik Van Looy, whose stylish work won top honors along with Decleir. The film is based on the novel "De Zaak Alzheimer" by popular Belgian detective novelist Jef Geeraerts. Hopefully, it and his other novels will be translated into English. Geeraerts' psychological approach evokes another Belgian writer, the incomparable Georges Simenon. This is the first of Geeraerts' stories to reach the big screen, and Hollywood has bought the rights to a remake. Don't wait; see the original. Decleir's portrayal should not be missed.

It takes a lot of guts to make a Belgian "policier". It's like making an American western without John Wayne, or a French flick without Jean Gabin or Alain Delon.

New times, new directors, new actors... Director Van Looy found his actors. Not only are they good, they are outstanding. Much will be said about the three main actors: Jan Decleir, Koen De Bauw and Werner De Smedt, but look closely at the supporting roles. Hilde De Baerdemaeker is one of the coming Belgian ladies... read my lips!

The script is based on a book by author Jef Geeraerts but for once the adaptation is better.

The dialogues are tongue in cheek, and for fans of "NYPD Blue" or "Homicide" this movie is a real treat. When the lights come on in the theater you want to look at your TV guide and check when the next episode is due...

The camera is nervous, it follows the action closely and the music is very well chosen. Also, without being chauvinistic, it's wonderful to see all the action take place in one of the largest European cities: Antwerp.

One of the best Belgian movies yet? Yes. A nice build up of characters, situations, drama. It's not easy, but it has been done.

Director Van Looy found his real commitment, a police thriller. You can compare this movie with "Memento" (the memory loss) or "Se7en" (the dualism between the two investigators) but better yet to "The Insider". Watch it: you will find out why.