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Now that Nicolas Cage has had his stock upgraded as of late (thanks to his lovely performance in “Pig” and his self-aware turn in the recent “ The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent ”), and Bruce Willis has retired, I suspect that Liam Neeson is going to be the next actor who finds himself in the critical crosshairs for doing far too many forgettable movies. His latest, “Memory,” is already his second such film in 2022, and since his list of upcoming projects on IMDb mentions titles like “Retribution,” “In the Land of Saints and Sinners,” “The Revenger” and “Cold Pursuit Sequel Project,” it doesn’t appear that he will be disembarking this particular gravy train anytime soon. To his credit, “Memory” is at least slightly more ambitious than most of the similar films Neeson has done recently. But it's certainly not enough to make you overlook how one of our most powerful actors is again wasting his time on the kind of half-baked thriller Charles Bronson used to crank out with depressing regularity during the waning days of his career.

The time around, Neeson plays Alex Lewis , another expert hired killer with a particular set of skills. As this film opens, he's considering leaving the life behind after seeing signs of the Alzheimer’s that has already claimed his brother. Nevertheless, Alex accepts one final job in El Paso, in which he has to bump off two separate people and recover some important flash drives from the first victim. He pulls off the first hit easily enough but when he discovers that the second victim is a 12-year-old girl ( Mia Sanchez ), Alex refuses to pull the trigger and keeps the flash drives for himself as an insurance policy.

Unfortunately, the girl had been pimped out by her father to a number of wealthy and powerful people, including the depraved son of powerful real estate developer Davana Sealman ( Monica Bellucci ), who put out the original hit in order to help her child evade justice. After tying up that loose end, she also calls for Alex to be killed. But even though he's slipping mentally, he's still skillful enough to evade her hired goons and kill everyone remotely connected to the crime. Alex also plants enough clues for an FBI task force led by Vincent Serra ( Guy Pearce ), who also tried to help the girl and feels guilty about what happened to her, to pursue him while always remaining one step ahead of them.

If the basic story points of “Memory” sound familiar to you, it may be that you've seen “ The Memory of a Killer ,” the 2003 Belgian crime drama that has been Americanized here (with both films based on Jef Geeraerts ’ novel The Alzheimer Case ). Although this version more or less follows the same narrative path of its predecessor, the original film, although a perfectly good genre film in its own right, was more interested in its central character (played in a very good performance by Jan Decleir ) as he is forced to reckon with both the weight of his past misdeeds and the cruelties of his present condition. 

“Memory” does begin to work when Neeson gets a hold of script's more dramatically impactful moments, but these scenes are simply too few and far between to be truly effective. Dario Scardapane ’s screenplay tends to put more of an emphasis on the big action beats, which are implausible enough as is and doubly so when you consider that they involve a character with deteriorating cognitive abilities. Although these scenes are handled with some style by director Martin Campbell , whose oeuvre includes one of the very best James Bond films (“Casino Royale”) and a lot of stuff that will be politely overlooked here, they wind up overwhelming the human drama involving Neeson’s character. This is especially evident during a new, less thoughtful finale in which one of the key villains is dispatched in an especially gruesome manner in order to give the gorehounds in the audience a final thrill before the end credits. Other than Neeson, the only performance of note here comes from Bellucci, whose casting here is unexpected, to say the least.

“Memory” is a little better than the majority of Neeson’s recent action excursions and there's a chance it may prove to be better than most of his future projects. However, that doesn't prove to be enough to make it worth watching, and those lucky enough to have seen “The Memory of a Killer” are likely to be disappointed as well. Yes, a little more effort has gone into the making of "Memory," so it's a shame—and an ironic one to boot—that the end results are so forgettable.

Now playing in theaters.

Peter Sobczynski

A moderately insightful critic, full-on Swiftie and all-around  bon vivant , Peter Sobczynski, in addition to his work at this site, is also a contributor to The Spool and can be heard weekly discussing new Blu-Ray releases on the Movie Madness podcast on the Now Playing network.

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Film credits.

Memory (2022)

Rated R for violence, some bloody images and language throughout.

114 minutes

Liam Neeson as Alex Lewis

Guy Pearce as Vincent Serra

Taj Atwal as Linda Amistead

Harold Torres as Hugo Marquez

Monica Bellucci as Davana Sealman

Ray Stevenson as Detective Danny Mora

Stella Stocker as Maya

Antonio Jaramillo as Papa Leon

• Martin Campbell

Writer (book)

• Jef Geeraerts
• Dario Scardapane

Cinematographer

• David Tattersall

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‘Memory’ Review: Michel Franco Gets Unforgettable Performances From Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard

The tough art-house director of 'After Lucia' and 'Sundown' applies his rigorous style to a more optimistic story, presenting an unconventional romance between two damaged-goods New Yorkers.

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“ Memory ” feels like the “Silver Linings Playbook” of Michel Franco ’s career: an unexpectedly accessible romance between two damaged human beings, from an independent director who’s been known to put characters through some of life’s most punishing indignities. For those familiar with Franco’s work, the previous film it most resembles is “Chronic,” though the tough-love auteur spares us the bummer ending this time around. In that movie, he followed a hospice nurse through his rounds, then abruptly cut to black when the guy was sideswiped by a car. Womp-womp. When a director does that early in his career, audiences are right to be wary.

It may sound like a theoretical conceit to bring such characters into each other’s lives: She’s tormented by past trauma she can’t forget, while he’s bothered by an inability to recall much of anything. But Franco treats his characters like real people, rather than constructs, and in this case, the actors are especially convincing in their roles. Chastain has made far more awards-friendly movies than this, but she’s never appeared more vulnerable on-screen — as both the character and a performer willing to tackle what’s sure to be a divisive character.

“Memory” introduces Sylvia in an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. She’s 13 years sober, the same age as her daughter, Sara (Brooke Timber). Sylvia has fashioned her life in a way that gives her control over the things she can. Resisting the kind of clumsy exposition where people describe their backstory (which might have easily fit into that AA meeting), Franco prefers to reveal his characters through action. Sylvia works at an adult daycare center and keeps her social life to a minimum, compulsively setting the security alarm each time she enters her Brooklyn apartment. She’s hyper-vigilant about Sara’s behavior, forbidding the teenager to be around alcohol or boys.

Long before Sylvia explains her history of assault, her behavior says a lot about her own teenage experience. No wonder she’s creeped out when Saul follows her home from the reunion. But she’s also sharp enough to notice that something’s not quite right about this man, surely drawing on her training as a social worker. After Sylvia’s stalker spends the night on her stoop, she contacts his guardian, Isaac (Josh Lucas), and discovers Saul’s dementia.

Meanwhile, Sylvia’s sister (Merritt Wever) points out that the timing doesn’t line up: The girls transferred to a different school before Saul arrived, making it unlikely that he molested her. Strange that Sylvia’s memory sees it differently. What else might she be confused about? (Her estranged mother, played by ’70s cult icon Jessica Harper, accuses Sylvia of lying. But it’s just as likely that the older woman is in some kind of denial.)

So far, the film could be accused of being rather schematic — of setting up a situation where audiences must decide whether to believe the victim or to give the benefit of the doubt to the accused. Then the characters’ behavior steers “Memory” in an unexpected direction. Isaac asks Sylvia if she’d be willing to be a nurse to Saul, and she agrees. At this point, it’s not clear whether she sincerely intends to help or has some kind of revenge on her mind. Franco resists the reductive path, allowing these two lonely people to bond. Both are fussed over by family members with a tendency to infantilize them. Sylvia’s kid sister assumes the more responsible role, while Saul’s brother has conservator-like control over his charge. Later, we discover what happens when he’s left alone.

Reviewed at Sunset Screening Room, Sept. 5, 2023. In Venice, Toronto film festivals. Running time: 100 MIN.

• Production: (U.S.-Mexico-Chile) A Teorema, High Frequency Entertainment, MUBI production, in association with Screen Capital, Caste Study Films. (World sales: The Match Factory, Cologne, Germany.) Producers: Michel Franco, Eréndira Núñez Larios, Alex Orlovsky, Duncan Montgomery. Executive producers: Paula P. Manzanedo, Moises Chiver, Jack Selby, Patricio Rabuffetti, Tatiana Emden, Joyce Zylberberg, Ralph Haiek, Michael Weber, Efe Cakarel, Bobby Allen, Jason Ropell.
• Crew: Director, writer: Michel Franco. Camera: Yves Cape. Editor:
• With: Jessica Chastain, Peter Sarsgaard, Brooke Timber, Merritt Wever, Elsie Fisher, Jessica Harper, Josh Charles.

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‘Memory’ Review: Getting Too Old for This

In this action thriller, Liam Neeson plays an assassin struggling with Alzheimer’s disease. It’s not as interesting as it sounds.

• Share full article

By Lena Wilson

The premise of “Memory,” the latest action thriller from the “Casino Royale” director Martin Campbell, is fascinating: Liam Neeson plays Alex Lewis, an aging assassin struggling with Alzheimer’s disease. As Alex seeks vengeance against a child trafficking operation in El Paso, he becomes increasingly unpredictable to the F.B.I. team tracking him, led by the contemplative agent Vincent Serra (Guy Pearce). Unique premise aside, “Memory” is an absurd slog. Its plot clichés and wooden performances are far more enduring than its narrative.

This is a remake of the 2005 Belgian film “The Memory of a Killer,” which was a critical success. “Memory,” then, is yet another embarrassing American adaptation. It plays as if the worst episodes of “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” have all been processed in a blender and then stretched to nearly two hours long. The script, by Dario Scardapane, is threadbare in some parts and redundant in others. Its treatment of female characters is, at best, bleak. There are multiple pauses for eye roll-inducing genre fare, like a violent police interrogation or a shot of the grizzled Agent Serra staring out a window and drinking Scotch. The American characters are performed almost entirely by British or Australian actors, a choice that might be less noticeable in a film not set in Texas.

Neeson is fine and gets to hit his standard action movie beats, like growling out threats and bedding a much younger woman. But he’s also surprisingly underutilized — the film shifts focus to Agent Serra early on, leaving Alex and his disability to languish in the shadows. Whatever appeal this film had in its original iteration has been sapped out, leaving a story that, when not completely vexing, is either mind-numbing or hilarious by accident.

Memory Rated R for bullets in brains and damsels in distress. Running time: 1 hour 54 minutes. In theaters.

Lena Wilson is a project manager at The New York Times and a freelance writer covering film, TV, technology and lesbian culture. More about Lena Wilson

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In Memory, Liam Neeson Gets to Act More Than Usual

Even those of us who’ve generally enjoyed Liam Neeson’s recent run of tough-guy roles sometimes forget that he can be a hell of a performer, too. His latest, Memory , directed by action legend Martin Campbell ( Casino Royale , The Mask of Zorro ), offers a helpful reminder that Neeson kicking ass need not mean Neeson on acting autopilot. The film, a remake of the 2003 Belgian thriller The Memory of a Killer , follows a hitman suffering from early-onset Alzheimer’s, but the dementia element is more a narrative contrivance than a serious exploration of a debilitating illness. (For that, you might want to check out Gaspar Noé’s Vortex instead, also out this week.) But Neeson, who had been an intensely physical actor even before he started playing guys with special sets of skills, conveys the vulnerability, pain, and fear of the character so well that he turns a nothing plot element into something genuinely moving.

When we first meet Alex Lewis (Neeson), he’s posing as a nurse in order to brutally strangle a man visiting his sick mother in the hospital. Our hero is not a good guy: Alex has spent his life killing people for money, often at the behest of gangsters operating in and around El Paso, Texas. But when he’s given a job that involves targeting a young girl, he refuses to kill her. Is this a sign of a humanity he’s always had, or is it a newfound hesitancy brought on by his condition? “You’re going soft,” his boss, Mauricio (Lee Boardman), says, bitterly.

A greater conspiracy is unfolding, however. The girl, Beatriz (Mia Sanchez), was a child-trafficking victim, and a dogged FBI agent, Vincent Serra (Guy Pearce, who himself starred in Memento 22 years ago, a film to which Memory occasionally nods), is hoping she will be the witness to help him take down a massive human-trafficking operation. The conspiracy, however, reaches through the upper levels of El Paso society, including the family of local businesswoman and philanthropist Davana Sealman (Monica Bellucci). While Serra and his partners, among whom is Hugo Marquez (Harold Torres) of the Mexican intelligence agency, encounter obstacles legal and otherwise, Alex seems to be the one person who can cut through all that red tape — a deadly lone wolf with what is now a personal grudge and not a lot of time left.

That results in an intriguing confusion of loyalties that the film probably could have done more with; Serra and his crew are torn over whether to try and stop Alex or to let him work his killing-machine magic. But overall, Memory works not so much as a procedural — it’s a bit too simply plotted for that — as it does as a character study. Credit the actors, and director Campbell’s willingness to give them their space. Neeson, in particular, is well-suited to portray Alex’s growing fragility. When he wakes up in the middle of the night, haunted by the images of people he may or may not have killed, his fear and confusion are overwhelming. The actor has always had a thing for suffering; even his action movies are on some level about shame and regret and intense personal pain . But what was submerged in the previous movies is out in the open this time. One scene where Alex cauterizes a bullet wound in his torso with a bottle of liquor and a lighter is so agonizing that I’d believe it if you told me Neeson had actually burned himself.

There’s an interesting edge to the action, too. Alex smashes heads and blows away people (not all of them bad guys, either) with ruthless, automatic efficiency, but it all feels reflexive, as if it’s been programmed into his muscle memory. That speaks to why he’s able to keep offing people even as he seems to be losing his cognitive abilities. He’s been killing for so long that it comes as naturally to him as breathing. That makes for a compelling contrast: On the one hand, we get surprisingly effective and visceral violence — the genre spectacle at which Campbell has always excelled — and on the other, a very real tenderness and anguish that’s quite rare in this sort of flick. In the end, Memory ’s greatest asset might be that it knows exactly what it is — a fun combination of sleazoid action and surprising emotion. It’s the best kind of B-movie.

• movie review
• liam neeson
• martin campbell
• alzheimer's disease
• memory of a killer
• monica bellucci

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clock This article was published more than  1 year ago

Noirish ‘Memory’ is a cut above the average Liam Neeson action flick

A hit man with alzheimer’s disease develops a conscience when he’s hired to kill a 13-year-old girl.

There’s a sameness to many of the roles Liam Neeson takes these days. With a few notable recent exceptions that still prove his depth and range — “ Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House ,” “ The Ballad of Buster Scruggs ,” “ Ordinary Love ” — the Oscar-nominated star of “ Schindler’s List ” has lately become more associated with action thrillers in which he plays a certain type: an emotionally damaged, perhaps even demon-driven antihero/loner plagued by alcoholism, an ethically compromised past, grief or some other psychic pain whose quest for redemption has turned him into an avenging angel. The quality of these films fluctuates between satisfying and disappointing, for the same reason. Because Neeson is so adept at rendering this stock character, he doesn’t always work very hard at it. Sometimes that effortlessness is a pleasure, and sometimes it just feels lazy.

Liam Neeson, a beloved action star who can pack an emotional punch

In plot, at least, “Memory” is no exception. Based on the 1985 novel “De Zaak Alzheimer” by Belgian writer Jef Geeraerts and its 2003 Belgian film adaptation, “The Memory of a Killer,” Neeson’s latest genre exercise centers on a hit man with dementia who suddenly sprouts a conscience when one of the targets he’s been hired to kill turns out to be a 13-year-old girl. And yet “Memory” is a cut above average, for this sort of thing. Mostly that’s thanks to the direction of Martin Campbell (“ Casino Royale ”), who injects the same freshness of energy into this formulaic outing that he did with last year’s assassin thriller “ The Protege .”

“Memory” feels more like film noir — deliciously dark, cynical and slightly amoral — than a pulpy piece of rote storytelling.

Neeson, for one thing, isn’t really the good guy here, or really even the bad guy with a heart of gold. His Alex Lewis is a coldblooded killer. With one exception — the barely teenage prostitute (Mia Sanchez) Alex refuses to kill after he’s hired to kill a couple of people to cover up a child-exploitation ring — he has few qualms about whom he murders. Cops, in particular, are so much collateral damage in Alex’s single-minded mission to take out the members of the international sex-trafficking cartel. The fact that he’s starting to lose his memory, and must write reminders down on his forearm with a Sharpie, barely makes him more sympathetic.

It’s a weird feeling, not being able to root wholeheartedly for Neeson. But I kind of like it. It feels honest, and less pandering.

Some cops, however, are spared. Two members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force (Guy Pearce and Taj Atwal), along with a Mexican detective (Harold Torres) on loan to the FBI, are allowed to live so they can perform cleanup on the messy pile of corpses Alex leaves behind in his path of vengeance. Mostly, as Pearce’s Agent Vincent Serra observes, that entails “taking out” the traffickers whom Vincent and the task force aren’t legally able to execute, while leaving the feds a trail of “breadcrumbs.”

Vincent’s pursuit of Alex, while following those breadcrumbs, is the engine that drives the plot. (The casting of Pearce, who in 2001’s “ Memento ” played an amnesiac pursuing his wife’s killer while marking his own body with clues, is a nice sort of callback.)

“Memory” is by no means a deep film. But there’s something here that lends the familiar proceedings a bittersweet aftertaste that lingers in the mind. That’s the film’s mix of moral ambiguity and the regret of someone for whom it’s too late to undo the past, but not perhaps to rectify the present, even when the law can’t. In the words of Vincent: “Memory’s a mother-f---er. And as for justice, it ain’t guaranteed.”

R. At area theaters. Contains violence, some bloody images, brief nudity, mature thematic elements and coarse language throughout. 114 minutes.

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Common sense media reviewers.

Violent Neeson action thriller is meaty but not memorable.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

It's never too late to do the right thing. But als

FBI agents tirelessly fight to try to bring down a

Law enforcement/FBI teams include characters of co

Intense, graphic, and bloody violence. Frequent gu

Sex workers shown in several scenes. One is seen s

Strong language throughout, including "a--hole," "

Wealth is depicted as a method of power: If you ha

Several characters smoke cigarettes or cigars. Dri

Parents need to know that Memory is a thriller starring Liam Neeson as Alex Lewis, an assassin who's trying to stop a sex-trafficking operation . Alex is experiencing cognitive decline, and as he pivots to helping law enforcement, he begins to be perceived sympathetically -- but despite the movie's…

Positive Messages

It's never too late to do the right thing. But also suggests that if you have money, you're above the law.

Positive Role Models

FBI agents tirelessly fight to try to bring down a sex trafficking ring, even when their efforts are continually thwarted by outside forces. But the story also follows an assassin who's intended to be seen heroically.

Diverse Representations

Law enforcement/FBI teams include characters of color. Long delays at U.S. immigration processing centers are central to the story, and the film shows a Mexican detective working with the FBI to try to stop the child exploitation tied to these problems. Female FBI agent is equally capable as her male counterparts. Sex workers depicted with compassion. A character with cognitive decline is portrayed sympathetically.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Intense, graphic, and bloody violence. Frequent gun use, including high-powered rifles. Physical fighting. Strangling/slit throats. Knifings. Verbal description of murders. Young teen is sex trafficked (and is depicted as seeming OK with it, defending the arrangement and the people putting her up to it), and surveillance footage captures the moments beforehand.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Sex workers shown in several scenes. One is seen sleeping with the main character (with the implication they'd had sex); another with the implication that she's prepping for sex. Full backside male nudity. Suggestive conversation. A woman comes on to someone by pulling her top down; only her shoulders are seen.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Strong language throughout, including "a--hole," "bastard," "bulls--t," "p---y" (used as an insult), and frequent use of "f--k." Threats. "Swear to G-d." Sexual terms like "blowie."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Wealth is depicted as a method of power: If you have money, you're above the law.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Several characters smoke cigarettes or cigars. Drinking throughout. Main character's prescription medication is a plot point, but it's not misused.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Memory is a thriller starring Liam Neeson as Alex Lewis, an assassin who's trying to stop a sex-trafficking operation . Alex is experiencing cognitive decline, and as he pivots to helping law enforcement, he begins to be perceived sympathetically -- but despite the movie's reminder that it's never too late to do the right thing, he's a killer, not a hero. Several hits occur on screen, with the camera lingering on the act and its bloody aftermath -- expect shootings, stabbings, slit throats, explosions, and physical fights. Long delays at U.S. immigration processing centers are central to the story, and the film shows a Mexican detective working with the FBI to try to stop the child exploitation tied to these problems. Sex workers (including a 13-year-old) are depicted compassionately, shown in the moments before and after sex (in one scene, a man's bare backside is seen). Expect smoking, drinking, and strong language ("f--k," "a--hole," etc.) throughout. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

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What's the Story?

In MEMORY (a remake of the 2003 Belgian thriller Memory of a Killer) , aging assassin Alex Lewis ( Liam Neeson ) is ready to retire, but his employer insists that he take one last job. When he realizes he's been hired to kill a teen girl, he refuses to complete the job. This puts a target on his back, and as he learns more about the dangerous criminal organization that hired him -- uncovering a child sex-trafficking ring that's using the difficulties at the U.S. Southern border to their advantage -- Alex decides to put an end to them. Meanwhile, FBI agent Vincent Serra ( Guy Pearce , whose casting is a wink to the memory-impaired character he played in Memento ) and his child exploitation task force feel like they're the only ones who care. But with an inability to produce convictions, the division is being shut down.

Is It Any Good?

While Neeson is playing yet another character who has "a certain set of skills," he does bring nuance to the role of Alex Lewis, an aging assassin who's dealing with cognitive decline. His enlightening performance -- and this unusual angle -- elevates a standard hitman-for-hire story into a thought-provoking one. Are "bad" people just bad, or do they have their own ethical boundaries? And when they decide to do the right thing, should we view them differently? Director Martin Campbell toys with viewers to some degree, allowing us to feel compassion and root for Alex and then slapping us with a cold reminder that he doesn't deserve our warm feelings.

Campbell, who was also behind the James Bond films Casino Royale and Goldeneye , is definitely creating a violent Liam Neeson actioner here, rather than a popcorn 007 flick. The killings are very graphic, and the story upsetting. The director knows what he's doing, and Memory is a well-made film, but some things fall through the cracks, including a few supporting actors whose performances are so bad, they're laugh-inducing. Additionally, opting to make a 13-year-old character who's being trafficked seemingly supportive of the decision to be used as a sex worker is bizarre. The end result is that Memory gives you something to think about for a week or two but is ultimately forgettable.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Memory's violence . How realistic is it? What techniques do filmmakers use to create realistic violence, as opposed to fantasy violence? Which has greater impact?

What does it mean to be complicit? Why is permitting or covering up bad actions also illegal and immoral, even if you're not the one committing the crime?

How can a common cause bring together people who otherwise would never be on the same side? How can we use common ground as a way to reach those who don't share our beliefs or behaviors?

Parents, discuss the realities of human trafficking. If you suspect someone is being exploited, call the National Human Trafficking hotline: (888) 373-7888.

Movie Details

• In theaters : April 29, 2022
• On DVD or streaming : July 5, 2022
• Cast : Liam Neeson , Guy Pearce , Monica Bellucci
• Director : Martin Campbell
• Inclusion Information : Female actors
• Studio : Open Road Films
• Genre : Thriller
• Run time : 114 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : violence, some bloody images and language throughout
• Last updated : September 23, 2022

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Memory Reviews

I do applaud Memory for accomplishing the impossible, which is to make you forget about virtually every aspect of the film by the time the lights go back up in the cinema.

Full Review | Original Score: D | Mar 6, 2024

Memory seethes with evil deeds and evil-doers motivated by nothing more than greed and a lust for power. And for once, Neeson’s character isn’t a blinding ray of light purifying everything around him through sheer will power and clenched fists.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Dec 5, 2022

An above-average Liam Neeson action piece...Aimed squarely at an adult audience that doesn't mind lots of plot talk, veteran director Martin Campbell gives th proceedings an usually jagged edge that lifts it above more formula-minded genre pieces.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Oct 30, 2022

Personally I think what Liam Neeson should do is order a hit on the role of hit man and have a go at doing something different.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Oct 18, 2022

[Memory] offers only predictable plotting and fitful thrills.

Full Review | Oct 7, 2022

Casino Royale director Martin Campbell makes great use of his locations, but the film is unlikely to linger long in your own memory.

Full Review | Oct 6, 2022

Props to Campbell and Neeson for trying to spice up the usual murderous melange, but <i>Memory</i> ends up just as forgettable as all those other flicks.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Sep 16, 2022

You can pretty much forget about it.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Aug 23, 2022

... An empty, repetitive, and ultimately, forgettable. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Jul 25, 2022

When it comes to his thriller outings, autopilot is the only speed he [Neeson] has.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Jun 14, 2022

The unnecessarily convoluted psychological thriller “Memory” proves two things: 1) That Liam Neeson, when he wants to, can really act; and, 2) that Liam Neeson acting doesn’t mesh well with Liam Neeson being an action star.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | May 29, 2022

It is a Liam Neeson movie, no more no less - it is a Liam Neeson movie.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | May 22, 2022

... Lots of fights, lots of chases, lots of bullets, lots of death. Lots of lots. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | May 20, 2022

Although this new film is not exceptional, it has a few aces up its sleeve. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | May 19, 2022

Memory is ironically named, because it is yet another Liam Neeson movie that you will completely forget about as soon as you reach the parking lot.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | May 19, 2022

Memory isn't a Neeson action vehicle nor the sordid noir the original was, resulting in an acceptable yet inconsequential movie. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | May 17, 2022

Set to turn 70 in June, Liam Neeson is still on his game in this forgettable action thriller in which he plays a professional assassin suffering from the beginning stages of Alzheimer's/dementia.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/10 | May 13, 2022

By no means is this thriller destined to become a classic, but it’s a satisfying indulgence.

Full Review | May 10, 2022

I wish I could forget it!

[Neeson's] charm is dulled by Lewis' failing mind and a script that neglects backstory and character development, all of which leave us feeling detached from his performance ... If given the choice to strike Memory from our own memory, we gladly would.

Full Review | May 9, 2022

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• DVD & Streaming
• Drama , Thriller

Content Caution

In Theaters

• April 29, 2022
• Liam Neeson as Alex Lewis; Guy Pearce as Vincent Serra; Monica Bellucci as Davana Sealman; Ray Stevenson as Detective Danny Mora; Ray Fearon as Special Agent Gerald Nussbaum

Home Release Date

• June 21, 2022
• Martin Campbell

Distributor

• Briarcliff Entertainment

Movie Review

Where did he put the keys? They should be here under the windshield visor. That’s where he always leaves them. He wouldn’t have taken them into the hospital with him. Would he? No, no. That would be crazy. Sloppy. Bad, bad, bad.

They’re not on the seat. Not in his pants pocket. In his shirt! Yes, he put them in his scrubs’ top pocket. That’s right, he was masquerading as an orderly this time. Hospital. Scrubs. Right.

He almost forced himself to retrace his steps back through the lobby and into the room where he garroted his mark’s throat. Blood everywhere. People walking by. Bad. That would have been an amateur mistake. He never makes those. Or … he didn’t.

But things are getting worse.

Alex Lewis has long known that the decline would happen. Alzheimer’s disease has hit his whole family this way. His older brother is little more than an empty … uh, just empty at this point. For Alex, it’s only been little things: a key, a picture, a word, a note. That’s why he’s taken to writing instructions and reminders on his own arm. But for some jobs, like Alex’s, you can’t be plagued with memory loss or the threat of a rubbed-off message.

Killers can’t be losing track of things. Not even keys. In this line of work, it won’t get you fired. It’ll get you dead.

He even tried to quit. But his handler talked him out of it. “Men like us, don’t retire,” he told Alex. But what do you do when you can’t remember the address, the name, the … thingamajig any longer? What then?

Just one more job. Make it a big one. And then he’ll have enough cash to hide himself away somewhere, maybe. He’ll have to leave what’s left of his brother behind. But, hey, soon enough he’ll probably forget him anyway.

Just one last, uh … whatchamacallit. Then he’ll be fine.[ Note: Spoilers are contained in the following sections. ]

Positive Elements

Alex’s next job changes everything, as he’s called upon to kill a teen girl who had been dragged into child prostitution by sex trafficking ring. Obviously, that’s not good. Alex, however, can’t force himself to follow through. But the girl is brutally murdered anyway by someone else. Alex, feeling that he’s close to losing everything anyway, takes it upon himself to hunt down those calling the shots. He also helps an FBI agent named Vincent Serra. Vincent had gone out of his way to help protect the abused girl—who was left homeless after a police sting went wrong.

Both men attempt to bring the powerbrokers behind the much larger trafficking operation to justice. Of course, their methods for doing so are much different. “We all have to die, Vincent. What’s important is what we do before we go,” Alex tells the FBI agent.

Amid a tainted justice system, we see very few good men and women. Vincent is one of a rare breed here.

Spiritual Elements

A Mexican detective wears six St. Mary medals around his neck to remind him of abused and murdered young women that he’s encountered in the course of a human trafficking case.

Someone says a prayer in Spanish and ends it with an affirmative “Amen.”

Sexual Content

We see several different women wearing open shirts or low-cut tops. One of them is in a formfitting swimsuit. Part of Vincent’s investigation into a sexual trafficking ring involves him paying, supposedly, to have sex with a man’s teen daughter. The girl undresses to a lightweight shift, but then discovers that Vincent is wearing a wire when she pulls open his shirt.

Later we see snapshots of that same teen girl being slapped by her father and a short video of her being tossed onto a bed by a shirtless older man. Later still, we see that same man at a yacht party. He strips off his clothes and lays face down on a bed and orders a different teen girl to get undressed. (She’s stopped from doing so.) The party also features an onboard hot tub packed with young women in bikinis.

A wife suspects her husband of an affair and demands he wash off the woman’s perfume. A woman openly flirts with Alex at a bar and later—after Alex slaps down a drunken man rudely hitting on her—the two end up in bed together. We see her in a cleavage-baring slip the next morning.

Violent Content

There’s quite a bit of brawling and death-dealing in this R-rated pic. Alex pounds away at several men in and out of the course of his job. He also breaks a man’s nose with a rifle butt. He batters another guy in a public restroom, smashing the man through a porcelain toilet. He slaps a drunk around at a hotel bar, slamming his head into the bar.

In another scene, Alex beats a killer mercilessly, slamming the man’s head and face into a car mirror and through a window. He then ties the bloodied man into the car and detonates a bomb on the vehicle’s undercarriage. We see him shoot several people in the head, up close and at a distance. He rips open a man’s gushing neck with a wire garrote.

In turn, Alex is also beaten badly by an angry police officer in a police interview. And the guy notes that he’ll take all afternoon to beat a confession out of him.

We’re shown pictures of two young boys with bruises all over their backs. A young girl is battered. We see her later with a bloody bullet hole in her forehead. A woman’s throat is slashed open by a man behind her, and the camera watches her bleed out. An innocent woman is shot in the throat by a gunman. Alex is shot in the side at one point and his shirt soon becomes soaked with blood. He opens his shirt, revealing the wound, then pours vodka on it and lights it afire to cauterize the laceration.

Someone tells a story about his wife getting hit by a drunk driver who then backs up to kill her son so there wouldn’t be any witnesses. A police sniper kills an innocent man. A man is riddled with bullets from police fire. Vincent tumbles out a second story window with an armed man who dies in the fall.

Crude or Profane Language

Some 40 f-words and a dozen s-words are joined by multiple uses of “a–hole” and “h—.” God’s and Jesus’ names are misused seven times total (with God’s name being combined with “d–n” once).

Drug and Alcohol Content

Both Alex and Vincent drink pretty heavily in several separate scenes. We see others drinking champagne, wine and booze at bars and at a yacht party. Vincent and a fellow female agent get drunk at a bar. A man and woman drink shots of tequila. A murder victim’s wife is visibly drunk during a police interview.

Two different guys smoke cigarettes.

Alex regularly takes a prescription medication designed to help his Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. A wealthy woman receives injections of a drug from her private physician. And a doctor moves to give someone a lethal injection before he’s stopped. We’re told of a man who was high on meth.

Other Negative Elements

This film declares that criminal organizations have corrupted many in the high seats of power in the U.S. criminal justice system (and in Washington, D.C.). We see several different people in authority corrupted by money and promises of power. And in the end, it’s suggested that murder may be the only way to solve that systemic disease.

Some might winkingly say that Liam Neeson is yet again playing a hero who has something, ahem, taken from him: this time his memory.

But that’s not accurate, really. In part, that’s because Neeson initially plays a true villain here, albeit someone with a conscience that’s starting to awaken. So when he’s not killing people in the film Memory, he’s straining to give heavy handed aid to the real hero before he loses himself to Alzheimer’s.

We’re shown child sex trafficking and gory murder in a crime-riddled world rotted to the core by graft and power. And it’s all part and parcel of a badly broken and horribly corrupted U.S. justice system.

Does that make for a stark social commentary? Maybe. But it also leaves you stewing in a fairly dark worldview. And no amount of orange soda and Gummy bears will make that depressing and often foul viewpoint any sweeter.

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

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Movie Review – Memory (2023)

February 19, 2024 by Robert Kojder

Memory , 2023.

Written and Directed by Michel Franco. Starring Jessica Chastain, Peter Sarsgaard, Merritt Wever, Josh Charles, Elsie Fisher, Jessica Harper, Brooke Timber, Jackson Dorfmann, Alexis Rae Forlenza, Elizabeth Loyacano, Josh Philip Weinstein, and Mia Mei Williamson.

Sylvia is a social worker who leads a simple and structured life. This is blown open when Saul follows her home from their high school reunion. Their surprise encounter will profoundly impact both of them as they open the door to the past.

When Jessica Chastain’s Sylvia and Peter Sarsgaard’s Saul properly privately converse in Memory for the first time following an uneasy scare the night before where the early onset dementia-stricken latter followed the former home (same subway route and all), she reveals the horrifying reason why she believes he did so. Anyone familiar with writer/director Michel Franco will be bracing themselves for more shock value that may or may not have substance. The filmmaker then spends the next 80 minutes, give or take, subverting those expectations into an emotionally stirring romance born out of their respective conditions and trauma, with quiet, gentle but powerful chemistry between these leads.

Sylvia has suffered from a history of sexual abuse that caused her to become estranged from her mother, Samantha (Jessica Harper), and embedded into a lengthy battle with alcohol addiction that she was able to quell when the birth of her now 13-year-old daughter Anna (Brooke Timber) came. Her mind is faulty in a different way, in where she accuses Saul of being a boy who often helped another boy assault her when they were 17 and she was 12, verbally blowing up on the man as he calmly sits there unaware of what to say, whether it’s because he never actually did these things or he doesn’t remember them. That mystery is cleared up instantly when Sylvia’s sister Olivia (Merritt Wever) looks into some public records and discovers that he didn’t move into the city and enroll there until the year she changed schools.

Meanwhile, Saul’s brother Isaac (Josh Charles) tells Sylvia, who also works at an adult daycare center, that she would make a good caretaker for him and that one will be needed since his daughter Sara (Elsie Fisher) is off to college. Again, when that suggestion comes in, there is that instant hesitation and pause for concern that Michel Franco is only trying to concoct the most grotesque, triggering dynamic imaginable. Even if he had gone that route, Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard probably still would have found something emotionally raw, revealing, and riveting there; that’s how captivating they are on screen together.

Rather than go down that bleak and dour route, Memory not only follows these two characters as they naturally grow closer but how Sylvia’s trauma and past have made her the adult and justifiably overprotective mother she is today. Throughout the film, Anna knows that she shouldn’t even bother asking her mom if she can go to parties or on a date with the boy she likes (even though he regularly visits their house), aware of what the answer will be. One day Anna might understand why and the truth will devastate her (without getting into spoilers, the horrors of her mom’s past are somehow more painful and disturbing than what is mentioned above.) 

Eventually, Sylvia’s mom comes into town, shedding light on the family dynamic in unsettling ways, seemingly having cast aside her daughter because of this past, to the point of nonchalantly taking it out on Anna (she brings gifts for all the grandchildren, but her) while also pretending she loves her daughters and granddaughters equally. She is also manipulating Anna to ask questions about her mom’s past. Simultaneously, Isaac disapproves of how much time Saul wants to spend with Sylvia, dehumanizing him and insisting that he doesn’t know what he is doing because of dementia, which doesn’t seem to be affecting their budding romance at all beyond his inability to process various entertainment mediums (a sad sequence in itself) and wander off while forgetting what he is doing.

The supporting performances from the closest things to villains in Memory could use a bit more nuance. There is also the feeling that the film doesn’t have much of a place to go narratively. Considering how immensely moving the performances are here, that’s not much of a fault. It is compelling watching these characters fall for one another, Anna discovering some horrifying truths about her mother’s past (there is a beautifully tender scene where she comforts her upon learning, with Brooke Timber impressive throughout), a depressing glimpse into how sexual abuse sometimes gets covered up within a family, and whether or not circumstances will allow them to be together.

By the time Sylvia and Saul are embracing one another in a bathtub, following a tense confrontation pressing their heads together, the love is beyond earned, and they are together because no one else can see these two people like they see each other. That’s the specific, beautiful love Memory is about.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check  here  for new reviews, follow my  Twitter  or  Letterboxd , or email me at [email protected]

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Silver Haze review – memory-haunted portrait of scarred, damaged lives

Vicky Knight plays a nurse injured in a fire who falls in love with a patient in Sacha Polak’s sombre, thoughtful drama

H ere is a tough drama of damaged lives which reunites director Sacha Polak with lead performer Vicky Knight, the star of her 2019 film Dirty God . Knight has spoken with courage about her own childhood experiences of being scarred in a pub fire in London and this film draws on her life, both in terms of her survivor’s story and her adult existence; like her character, she has worked in healthcare.

Knight plays Franky, a nurse haunted by memories of the blaze that injured her, and also by her unresolved feelings about her errant dad who ran out on the family when she was little. Franky falls in love with a troubled patient called Florence (Esmé Creed-Miles), who has tried to take her own life. Franky’s own home life with her sister and mother is complex and difficult and although Franky and Florence have their vulnerability and loneliness in common, she finds herself drawn into something approaching a quasi-daughter relationship with Florence’s caring foster mum Alice, as the relationship begins to disintegrate; this is a wise and warm performance from Angela Bruce.

Silver Haze is a sombre, thoughtful film about depression and what is (and isn’t) likely to promote emotional healing, performed with openness and honesty. It is a movie about anger and pain and often this makes for an angry and painful film, and it can be a tough watch sometimes. Some parts of it are more rewarding than others, and I found scenes of attempted vengeful violence alienating, realistic though their inclusion arguably is. But the relationships between Franky and Florence, and Franky and Alice, are managed with redemptive humanity and warmth.

Silver Haze is in UK and Irish cinemas from 29 March.

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Movie Reviews

'la chimera' is marvelous — right up to its most magical ending.

Justin Chang

Carol Duarte and Josh O'Connor in La Chimera . Neon hide caption

Carol Duarte and Josh O'Connor in La Chimera .

The wonderful 42-year-old filmmaker Alice Rohrwacher practices a kind of cinema that I've come to think of as "Italian magical neorealism." She gives us portraits of hard-scrabble lives in poor rural communities, but they're graced by a whimsical, almost fable-like sense of enchantment.

Rohrwacher's 2014 film, The Wonders , was a lyrical drama about a family of Tuscan beekeepers. She followed that in 2018 with Happy as Lazzaro , about a group of sharecroppers on a tobacco farm whose story moves from picaresque comedy to aching tragedy.

'The Wonders' Of Family And Change

Her marvelous new movie, La Chimera , follows in much the same vein, with one key difference. While Rohrwacher has generally worked with non-professional Italian actors, this time she's cast the English actor Josh O'Connor , best known for his Emmy-winning performance as a young Prince Charles on The Crown .

But O'Connor's character here doesn't give off even a whiff of royalty, even if his name is Arthur. When we first meet him, he's asleep on a train bound for his old stomping grounds in Tuscany. He's just been released from prison after serving some time for the crime of grave robbing.

Arthur has a mysterious archeological talent: Wielding a divining rod, he can detect the presence of buried artifacts, many of which date back to the Etruscan civilization more than 2,000 years ago. Arthur works with a group of tombaroli , or tomb raiders, who rely on him to figure out where to dig.

Upon his return, many of those old friends welcome him back with a parade — one of several moments in which Rohrwacher briefly channels the vibrant human chaos of a Fellini film. Arthur is a little reluctant to rejoin his old gang, since they let him take the rap after their last job. But he doesn't seem to have anything else to do, or anywhere else to go. He may be an outsider — his Italian throughout is decent but far from perfect — but it's the only place in the world that feels remotely like home. And O'Connor plays him with such a deep sense of melancholy that it feels almost special when his handsome, careworn face breaks into a warm smile.

It's not immediately clear what Arthur wants; unlike his cohorts, he doesn't seem all that interested in making money off their spoils. The answer turns out to lie in his dreams, which are haunted by a beautiful young woman named Beniamina — the love of his life, whom he's lost under unclear circumstances.

And so Arthur's determination to go underground becomes a metaphor for his longing for an irretrievable past: Beniamina is the Eurydice to his Orpheus, and he wants her back desperately.

Arthur is still close to Beniamina's mother, Flora, played with a wondrous mix of warmth and imperiousness by the great Isabella Rossellini. Her presence here made me think of her filmmaker father, the neorealist titan Roberto Rossellini — a fitting association for a movie about how the past is forever seeping into the present.

One of the pleasures of Rohrwacher's filmmaking is the way she subtly blurs our sense of time. La Chimera is set in the 1980s, but it could be taking place 20 years earlier, or 20 years later. Rohrwacher and her brilliant cinematographer, Hélène Louvart, shot the movie on a mix of film stocks and sometimes tweak the image in ways that evoke the cinematic antiquities of the silent era. As sorrowful as Arthur's journey is, there's a playfulness to Rohrwacher's sensibility that keeps pulling you in, inviting you to get lost in the movie's mysteries.

One of the story's most significant characters is Italia, played by the Brazilian actor Carol Duarte, who works in Flora's household. Italia is a bit of an odd duck with a beguiling bluntness about her, and she might be just the one to pull Arthur out of his slump and get him to stop living in the past.

I won't give away what happens, except to say that La Chimera builds to not one but two thrilling scenes of underground exploration, in which Arthur must finally figure out his life's purpose — not by using a divining rod, but by following his heart. And it leads to the most magical movie ending I've seen in some time, and also the most real.