Memory (2022)
Produced by Welle Entertainment
Directed by Martin Campbell
Screenplay written by Dario Scardapane based on the book “De Zaak Alzheimer” by Jef Geeraerts
Starring Liam Neeson, Guy Pearce, Monica Bellucci, Taj Atwal, Ray Fearon and Harold Torres
Sometimes there are things in your life that you’d like to forget. For a man like Alex Lewis, a professional assassin that is precise and discreet, forgetting something could be deadly. In El Paso, a cartel that is using young girls for prostitution is being investigated by an FBI team lead by Agent Vincent Serra. A visit by an old colleague pushes Alex into the middle of this conflict and it is his skills from a lifetime of killing that will either destroy the cartel or lead to the deaths of Serra’s team and possibly more.
International movie star Liam Neeson stars in this action thriller where one man’s morals may possibly make up for a faltering mind. Co-starring Guy Pearce, Monica Bellucci, Taj Atwal, Ray Fearon and Harold Torres, this film takes the one-man vigilante action and throws in a fascinating psychological twist. Based on the Belgian novel “De Zaak Alzheimer”, we see Alex facing down the looming threats of the cartel, the FBI and the El Paso police while trying to contend with his own fading memory. How do you do what you know is right when what you know escapes you?
While you walk into a movie like this thinking of Neeson’s previous exploits like Taken and Widows, this film definitely goes down a deeper hole. Nowadays, the word Alzheimer’s conjures thoughts of regressing memory and erratic behavior. Put that kind of psychological impairment into the head of a lethal weapon and it leads to a somewhat confusing situation. Neeson’s portrayal of this damaged man was excellent in the integration of both his skills as a killer and his weakness as an aged person. Guy Pearce’s agent Serra was also focused on his duty to his job and was willing to do what was necessary. The overall acting in Memory was done quite well and seemed to work well together.
Some scenes of the movie felt as if they were missing something that was cut or otherwise misplaced within the timeline. The flow of the film nevertheless was pretty smooth and the narrative was woven quite well. The visuals were also good, using both the urban landscapes and seedier situations with good attention to details. There was some of the camerawork that seemed somewhat forced though for the most part it was done very well. The music and various effects of the movie were worked in to great use and weaved in perfectly. Overall, Memory was an action thriller that definitely kept you guessing, turned the stereotype on its side and gave an honestly more realistic film.
Rating 8.5/10