Mnemophrenia

This movie was so bad. Boring, poor visual effects and bad dialogue. The only reason it has a good score is because of reviews.

"Er...um...yes of course now surely you can all see how this could change us all in the future, giving us such freedom to...." To what, not know if half or more of what we think are our actual memories are true or not? To move freely in what way(s)? This very arthouse movie is overtly nebulous in its attempts to show great meaning and arch intellectual reach. Acting is often mediocre at best. The actors seem more like stage actors than ones used to performing in front of a camera. Characters say a number of statements like, "Imagine the possibilities of life with mnemophrenia.", or, "Can't you see what this could mean for the future?". But they don't go into much detail about what it could mean aside from inferences about empathy/understanding being increased. The visual work is often impressive in the use of the computer analysis overlays and in creating a dream-type effect during the VR scenes. But I felt too often the film was meandering, repetitive.

Theoreticians, futurists, and sci-fi fans will rejoice after collective immersion in the wonderfully dense "Mnemophrenia," a film that anticipates a near-term medical condition identifying the mind's inevitable blurring of truths between organically-lived experiences and those realized through ongoing exposure to virtual reality. Imagine, for example, learning that a man you knew throughout early life wasn't ever real, yet his virtual construct positively informed you to live your most fully realized existence: Would you feel total invalidation, or total gratitude? These are the types of heavy-as-an-anvil suppositions this terrifically ambitious film puts forth in what could soon become a shockingly prophetic piece of cinema.

"Mnemophrenia" isn't just philosophically sharp without the on-screen chops to back it up. This is a somewhat ingenious slab of filmmaking, cleverly crafted by deploying the camera as an all-seeing computer eye moving between a series of vignettes, all set in various future stages. The computer captures two lab techs as they debate the ethics of a large-scale mnemophrenic state in which virtual experiences aid or falsely influence (depending on which side of the debate you're on) all life experiences. Elsewhere, the camera documents a therapy session in which subjects process aloud various mnemophrenic epiphanies. In a further future, the camera serves as the mind's eye of a woman with an embedded chip in her brain, recording and interpolating her living moments until it quite literally embodies a hardware version of her true self. When she's diagnosed with a fatal illness, something resembling a downloadable, posthumous eternity is promised for both her and her partner.

This is a film presenting high-level theory with a shrewd attenuation to grass roots, solution-driven filmmaking, and it's a combination that makes for great storytelling. Turn off your phone and clear your mind going in, as "Mneophrenia" very attractively offers head candy by informing, theorizing, and challenging in equal parts. Highly recommended, and sure to provoke exhaustive water cooler debate in its aftermath. - (Was this review of use to you? If so, let me know by clicking "Helpful." Cheers!)

The premise of the film is by far one of the most intriguing ones explored in sci-fi to this day. Perhaps this is because mnemophrenia is something that seems so tangible, even in the present.

The story is told in an interesting way; by intertwining three individual, yet related stories from different points in time. This makes the storytelling somewhat confusing at the beginning, but coherent by the end.

The cinematography is stunning, and it is cleverly used to distinguish between the three storylines. A separate note must be made on the impressive graphics, which give additional information about the story, making it worth a second watch.

The acting and dialogue seem natural, which is really all that could be asked of this aspect.

Overall, Mnemophrenia is a film worth watching, regardless of its initially confusing nature.

This is one of those rare occasions when watching a yet undiscovered movie makes you feel genuinely lucky. Going into this movie with only a basic knowledge of what it is about but with a good deal of interest in the broader topic, I must say that I was given ample food for thought. Mnemophrenia manages to intrigue and entertain in equal measure. Given the movie's low budget, this is a trully remarkable feat.