Memories of Tomorrow

Considering that most of the reviews I've read here so far glorify MOT because it was made with a low (no) budget, I thought I'd try to look at it from a different perspective.

Yes, yes, WOW look at the great effects, the great cinematography, the great editing etc etc & all with such a petite budget!!! From this, definitely a 10/10. But I guess that's what you get when you teach at a film school: easy access to equipment, production and keen hands.

Still, a film, no matter how pretty, no matter how well cut, fails to stand tall without the foundation of good storytelling. The storyline in MOT was predictable and rather dull: Bad person wants to forget his sins/past & to turn over a new leaf but past catches up with him with some dire consequences.

Nonetheless, the director attempts to spice up the story with the way he structures it. This makes it quite interesting overall but risks the viewer's engagement with the characters. The flat and one dimensional performances from the cast doesn't help either. Notwithstanding the characters of John and, sometimes, Tanya, the others were merely cut-outs from stereotypical characters.

Moolah or no moolah, MOT failed to engage me. The pretty pictures and pretty pictures only, made me into a lifeless observer and not the participant that I enjoy being when experiencing a film.

But yes, I'd be lying if I said that Amit didn't have any potential. Of course he does!!! However, at this stage it's like a George Lucas scenario where, coming from a post-production background, he seems only concerned with the polished and shiny surface of his product.

If he would take scriptwriting/storytelling as seriously as he does with the look of the film, then by golly, make way for the launch of a great director!

And this is something moolah cannot buy.

With a rating of 8.4/10 I was expecting something really special but I was seriously disappointed with this film. If it wasn't for the fact Rachel Gilchrist is so attractive I'm not sure I'd have even finished watching this movie. I seriously recommend giving this a miss; it screams out naff no budget and is frankly boring & predictable, calling it a thriller is like false advertising. I've watched better fan made sci-fi films than this like Star Wreck - In the Pirkinning and Star Wars Revelations, they look less amateur. For the love of God I hope there is never a sequel. Perhaps if they fought with shovels instead of guns it would be more exciting.

In Memories of Tomorrow, John (Richard Thompson) can't remember their past. His wife Tanya (Rachel Gilchrist), on the other hand, is desperately trying to forget. Together, they have forged a new life in New Zealand, leaving Britain, and their previous lives, behind. But four years later history is coming to get them – in John's nightmarish dreams; in the arrival of Roger (Ray Trickitt), a previous acquaintance of Tanya's; and in the inescapable chain of events that Roger's arrival sets off. It gives this film its title, and gives the tale its hook.

The relatively slow beginning gives the viewer time to understand the dynamic between the couple, and see how John's lack of memories is creating a dark undertow in their seemingly tranquil lifestyle. While it's not readily apparent what are dreams and what is reality (more from the filming perspective than the acting), the realisation that Tanya is keeping something from John becomes obvious to both him and the viewer.

The pace picks up a little when Roger arrives in Auckland, with covert pick-ups, hidden cameras, and espionage behind the scenes. And when Roger comes into contact with Tanya and John, the present begins to tangle with the past, creating disastrous results for everyone.

The end is no disappointment, with the main questions answered. But new questions are created and left open, allowing for the possibility of a return to the tale at a later date.

No one is going to mistake Memories of Tomorrow for a million-dollar film, but neither does it come across as an amateur effort. The main actors are credible and believable, with most extras also doing well. Given the breaks between filming (done primarily on weekends) and the constraints on locations and time, getting into character cannot have been easily done. Auckland locals will recognise Takapuna and Onehunga featured heavily, with Bethells Beach making appearances in some of the most sinister memories.

As a fan of the British school of espionage films/TV, I enjoyed the "need to know" approach the film took in regards to the exact details of who was working for who. What could so easily have been corny held together well as a intriguing film.

I think the director got some nice work from his cast and crew. The film looks great, has a decent soundtrack, and the actors didn't go to far in their roles - often actors can get carried away with an action/thriller film. They can forget that for the characters involved the rough and tumble violence is just part of the job. A professional doesn't feel the need to show off, they just get the job done and try and stay alive.

For an imaginative thriller you can't go wrong giving this a try.

MEMORIES OF TOMORROW is an interesting film, in that it's a spy thriller that's best when it's not interested in being a spy thriller. Other folks here have alluded to the story, so I won't belabor those points. Personally, it's not a genre that excites me much (so add a point or two to my score if you're a fan of the genre), but Tripuraneni does a good job of crafting a solid story and it ticks along nicely enough.

Where MEMORIES really shines, though, is in its building of visual sequences and editing. There's a lot of downright visionary camera-work in here (especially considering this was shot on a Panasonic DVX-100A!), and there's places where the combination of the images, cutting, and sound design transported me to another level of appreciation, rare in the world of film-making, much less in the world of digital debut features. Personally, I'd love to see this crew take on a film that's even more abstract with a less conventional plot - the poetry of the aesthetics sometimes feels like it calls attention to the more standard scriptwriting devices. (TV broadcasters spoon-feeding out important plot details or the initial setup of the romance between the two lead characters, for instance.)

In sum: well worth a look, especially for those curious about pulling off effective and aesthetically interesting no-budget film-making. If my rating seems low in comparison to my comments, it's partially because I don't grade on a scale for budget (so add two points if you do) and partially because I expect films from this crew in the future that will leave this film in the shade.