Customer Reviews

Memory

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Memory is a sleek thriller that starts off slow and quickly builds into a cascading tide of action. It's very much in the style of Alfred Hitchcock and is one of my favorite movies out this year.

Roughly, the plot is that a memory researcher is exposed to an unknown substance that causes him to start experiencing memories that happened before he was born. He sees a masked figure in a Burberry coat chasing through the woods. At first he thinks he's going insane, but when he realizes the masked figure could be a serial killer, he must do whatever is necessary to bring the decades old nightmare to an end. I can't say much more without giving spoilers :>

The main review on Amazon says there are little in the way of surprises. I disagree. There ARE twists and turns in the plot, and even in the ending. I normally can see where these movies are going, and this one managed to surprise me.

I absolutely loved this movie. Billy Zane is a strong, dramatic actor and his performance is a pleasure to watch. I also appreciated the lack of gore and nudity in the film. Lately, too many sloppy productions have attempted to mask their short comings with excessive gore or gratuitous nudity, but with few shortcomings, this movie has little to mask.

If you're a fan of Hitchcock mystery thrillers or in the mood for a psychological thriller, please give this movie a shot.

Highly recommended.

I waited so long to see this film, finally it opened here in New York City and I rushed to see it! Had a hard time at first following the plot, but slowly it all came together, especially after veteran actress Ann- Margret comes on screen as Carol Hargrave. I have never seen Ann Margret in this type of role and she really does a great job! REally love the film, the DVD has some great extras for aspiring film makers too!

Well, first of all, I have to say what a great looking lead. Billy Zane (Titanic) looks great in this one. The story is one that takes your interest right away. The ending sums it all up in about five minutes but the rest of the time you're trying to figure out who-done-it. Yeah, one of those movies.

Now here is an awesome original gem of a movie. Very well thought out and written, good acting and directing, suspenseful, atmospheric, and a surprise twist at the end that you do not see coming. Five stars!

It definately built up the anticipation about whose memory he was sharing and although it had a bit unexpected answer it was one notch short of spectacular.

Powerful performance by Billly Zane and an unusual role for Ann Margret- which she carried off with style & class. Original plot and great acting make it a must see psychological thriller movie. Not bloody or gory. Best of all it is a (A) movie so it doesn't need a lot of usless nudity to fill in the gaps in the plot. I was very pleased with my purchase.

Dr. Taylor Briggs (Dead Calm's Billy Zane) is in Brazil for a conference on Alzheimer's disease. He is called upon to consult on an unusual case involving a man covered in a strange orange powder. Briggs is accidentally contaminated by this substance (which he later finds out is only used in ancient tribal rituals). This results in what appear to be blackouts and hallucinations. As the days pass, Briggs realizes that these experiences are actually 30 year old memories from someone else's life! Not just any memories, but those of a serial killer! Briggs becomes obsessed w/ finding out the truth behind these visions. MEMORY is a fast-moving tale of mystery and suspense w/ mystical overtones. Zane is believable as Briggs, and Dennis Hopper, Ann-Margret (Magic, Tommy), and Tricia Helfer do admirable jobs, especially Ann-Margret, who adds a nice jolt to this thriller! And yes, she's still beautiful! Remember to add this one to your collection...

First of all I want to thank Amazon for this review
process, and the people who give them. I selected this
movie based on description and reviews. We have a good
story, great acting, a plot that will have you guessing
until the end. Good filmaking without spending a huge
sum of money, just old fashioned talent.

When I started watching this movie it didn't look too good--all the previews were grade B trash and that's exactly what I was anticipating during the opening credits. It's surprisingly good, although I'm still not sure I understand the plot in it's entirety.

For instance: why would exposure to some guy's shamanic memory serum all the sudden turn Billy Zane on a specifically personal quest to find out who his real father was? Does the memory serum itself have some kind of good willed soul that steers him in this direction? Why wouldn't it just make him nuts with all sorts of memories at once until it got out of his system?

I really wished Dennis Hopper had turned out to be the maniac; after all, he seems like one anyway, even as the benevolent scientist "would be" father of Zane's character. The hallucinations in this film range from hokey to very, very effective; Ann Margret gives a chillingly effective performance as the torchbearer of a very perverse evil. At times this reminded me of Hitchcock's "Spellbound" and at other times like the crazier parts of "Rambo 3": it's almost as though Roger Corman and Luis Bunuel decided to take the reigns together in an unlikely collaboration.
Nonetheless, the plot keeps you guessing and the ending is actually pretty shocking.

Memory is a direct-to-DVD mess that never really finds a home. The acting and execution is pretty good - I was drawn by the Billy Zane and Dennis Hopper combination - but it's just too messy to function properly. At times a psychological thriller with anthropology roots, at others a family drama with hints at cyber predators, the best I can say is that it's mostly science fiction.

Dr. Taylor Briggs (Billy Zane) is a neurologist who has devoted his professional life to curing the disease (Alzheimer's) affecting his mother. While at a conference abroad in the Amazon, he is consulted on a bizarre local case of a man, ostensibly American, who is covered in red dye and in possession of an unusual MRI. The MRI shows tumors that have specifically targeted the memory centers of the brain. When Dr. Briggs accidentally becomes exposed to the mystery patient, he begins having recurring black-outs and dreams that cause concern. Together with a retired doctor (Hopper - who is criminally underused) and a few assorted but relatively unimportant friends, Briggs discovers the cause for his hallucinations and dark dreams may tie together his broken past and the sickening exploits of a serial killer.

Essentially this movie reminded me of a pedophile's version of [Kiss the Girls]], but with the "inside the killer" genre. It's not bad, mind you, but there is a reason it didn't go to theatres.

Jason Elin