Memory

(2007) Memory MYSTERY THRILLER

Despite the happy ending, it's hard to recommend a movie for being incomplete. There's a reason why authors shouldn't be allowed to adapt their own books into movies for this is a prime example about what can happened to a premise that could've been interesting. The movie stars Billy Zane as Taylor Briggs who has just infected himself with some red powder, but it's really red sand. And he's also an expert on Alzheimer's because of his mother since he figures that it's hereditary. As a result of touching some red sand, he starts to somehow relive on a hallucination involving an abduction of a little girl during the year he was born which was back in 1971. And as a result of frequent dreams like it, he then asks his friend who's a neurologist for his help since he suspects that theirs a connection. Now, the revelations as well as the ideas are intriguing but the payoff is bland leaving viewers with more questions than it gets any answers such as how much involvement is the Dennis Hopper character. And what about the Billy Zane's character's health since it's labelled as toxic., like since when do hospitals discard toxic sand into regular garbage cans! You know, if this film was remade again, I would go and watch it since all it needs is a lot of patching up, but for now we are stuck with this mediocre effort.

The cast members explained in interviews that the main theme of Bennett Davlin's "Memory" is the idea of seeing something through someone else's eyes, as the main character (Billy Zane) does: an otherwise benevolent person suddenly has memories of committing horrible acts. This is not a slasher movie or home invasion movie. There's the issue of what has been hidden. Parts of the movie did trick me a little bit, and I found it to be a pretty clever flick. It's not frightening or anything, but I liked how they laid everything out.

OK, so we could be cynical and say that this is a totally improbable story. So what? The movie is understood to be improbable. I still say that it's a very clever plot. Above all, it's great to see Dennis Hopper (RIP) and Ann-Margret still playing such interesting roles. Worth seeing.

While in Salvador, Brazil, in a medical congress, the researcher of Alzheimer Dr. Taylor Briggs (Billy Zane) and his colleague and friend Dr. Deepra Chang (Terry Chen) are invited to visit a local hospital. They find a patient from Amazon with a unique case of tumors in the memory cells, and while examining him, the glove of Taylor ruptures and his finger touches a strange powder. Taylor has visions from 1971, and once back to Boston, he finds that he has genetically stored memories of a serial killer of little girls activated by the powder.

"Memory" is a messy and absurd thriller. I was attracted by the cast, with Dennis Hopper, Ann-Margret and Billy Zane, but I in the end I was absolutely disappointed with the coincidences and the insane and totally unbelievable story. For Brazilians, it is hilariously ridiculous the geographic confusion of the screenplay, with a sick patient coming from Amazon to Salvador (why?); Taylor and Deepra are in a congress in Salvador (there is a footage of the city), they go to a bar and the director uses footage of the front of "Barril 1800", in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro instead of a local bar; the interior of the bar is probably in a studio. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "Alucinações" ("Hallucinations")

I had never heard of "Memory" till I purchased it on a 4-movie "Horror Collector's Set" DVD from the bargain bin. In addition to "Memory," the other three movies on the DVD were Tobe Hooper's "Mortuary," "Wages of Sin" and "Bloody Mary." "Mortuary" wasn't too bad but the other two films were flat-out awful, so by the time I sat down to watch "Memory" I really wasn't expecting much. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be the best movie on the DVD, even though it certainly isn't what I would consider a "Horror" movie. "Memory" is a fine mystery/suspense thriller along the lines of a James Patterson story (think "Kiss the Girls" or "Along Came A Spider") with some occasional horrific overtones.

Billy Zane of "Titanic" stars as Taylor, a researcher for a pharmaceutical company who is accidentally exposed to an unknown drug compound while in Brazil for a convention. When he returns home to Boston, he begins having disturbing flashbacks of a masked person in a black cloak, dark forests, and little girls. Disturbed by these visions, he begins to do some research on the powder he touched and it turns out that Indian tribes in the Amazon have been using it for thousands of years to see other people's memories, through their own eyes. Unfortunately for Taylor, the person whose memories he's now "sharing" happens to be a psycho who's been kidnapping and killing little girls for the past 30 years without being caught. With the help of his artist girlfriend (Tricia Helfer of "Battlestar Galactica") and two family friends (the late great Dennis Hopper and Ann-Margret) he takes it upon himself to unravel the mystery and stop the masked kidnapper before he can claim yet another new victim. As his investigation moves along, it seems that the killer also has a connection to Taylor's past that he has never suspected.

Though this was obviously a low budget film (from a first time writer/director) "Memory" is a nice looking film and a tight, fast moving effort. The veteran cast turns in fine performances all around, and the twists and turns of the plot will keep the viewer guessing till its creepy finale in the kidnapper's lair. This is also the coolest set piece in the movie, a cavernous building loaded with scary looking mannequins and bizarre scrawlings on the walls. I thought I had the ending figured out early on but as it turns out, the filmmakers threw me a curve ball that I wasn't expecting. Horror fans will probably be disappointed by this flick (as I said, it really doesn't belong on a "Horror" DVD) but fans of psychological thrillers should be pleased with this little known gem.

"Memory" can apparently be found cheaply wherever bargain DVDs are sold so I would recommend checking it out. Just a tip, if you happen to buy it on the same "Horror Collector's Set" that I did, skip the other three movies on it and go right to this one.

I almost did not rent this movie due to the art on the DVD jacket, which is similar to the horror genre, but I gave it a look-see just in case. I'm glad I did.

Even though I had the baddie figured out early on in the movie, I found the concept of genetic memories with a different slant in a movie to be interesting. I wish more had been added into this subject regarding the powder and the Indians, which would have given this movie more of a smart flash.

Regardless, I did enjoy the performances of Zane, Margaret and Hopper. I was pleasantly surprised to see Zane with more meat on his bones and is becoming a more seasoned actor. Of course, from a female perspective, I certainly didn't turn away when he took his shirt off! He's still hot. I think that this threesome made a very good complimentary combination together, and would like to see other movies similarly cast.

The movie didn't really drag too much in my opinion as other comments made here. There are more visuals than explaining dialog/narrative, which were all very well done. If more dollars could have gone into this movie, it would have been a bigger box office seller. The talent was definitely there in the casting, directing, audio and visuals, but stops a wee short in lacking the extra substance, such as what I've mentioned ... something more about the genetic memory angle.

All in all, I liked this movie and recommend the rental fee, and enjoy some popcorn.