Martin Campbell’s 2022 American action thriller film Memory was written by Dario Scardapane and is a redo of the previous adaptation of Jef Geeraerts’ novel De Zaak Alzheimer, titled The Alzheimer Case. Liam Neeson plays the lead role of a hitman who is grappling with early dementia and is forced to flee after turning down a contract to kill a young girl.
The film also features Monica Bellucci, Guy Pearce, Harold Torres, Taj Atwal, and Ray Fearon in supporting roles. Open Road Films released Memory in theaters across the United States on April 29, 2022. However, the movie received mostly negative reviews from critics.
During its opening weekend, the movie was expected to earn a revenue of $2-5 million from 2,555 theaters across the United States and Canada. On its first day, it managed to rake in $1.1 million, ultimately making a debut of $3.1 million.
The film secured the eighth spot at the box office during that period. Of those who watched it during its opening weekend, 51% were male, and those aged 25 and above accounted for 84% of the ticket sales, with 46% of them being over 45 years old.
The ethnic breakdown of the viewership showed that 49% were Caucasians, 20% were Hispanic or Latino Americans, 20% were African American, and 11% were Asians or from other ethnicities. The movie made $1.4 million in its second weekend, but its revenue dropped significantly to $450,038 in the third week, causing it to drop out of the box office top ten.
The Storyline of Memory
The protagonist of the story is Alex Lewis, a hitman residing in Mexico who has early-onset Alzheimer’s and is employed by Davana Salman. Alex is assigned to assassinate Ellis Van Camp, a builder for the Texas Central Processing Facility in El Paso, Texas, where he grew up, and his brother resides in a nursing home because of severe Alzheimer’s.
Meanwhile, Vincent Serra, a member of the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, is operating undercover in El Paso to arrest “Papa Leon,” a sex trafficker. During the operation, Papa Leon takes Vincent’s daughter, Beatriz, hostage, resulting in Vincent killing him.
Beatriz is taken to the Processing Facility, where she had been detained previously before being transferred to a group home. Vincent is disheartened that his efforts to investigate domestic trafficking are frequently hindered.
Memory Review
Many people fear getting old, with its inevitable signs such as sagging skin, labored breathing, and awkward movements, especially when it comes to being vulnerable on screen. However, Liam Neeson is not one of them. The Oscar-nominated actor has reached the pinnacle of his profession, having starred in neo-noirs like the ‘Taken’ series and ‘Schindler’s List,’ among others.
While it may seem like Neeson has become too comfortable with this sub-genre, at times appearing lazy in his lack of exploration, he takes on a different challenge in Martin Campbell’s ‘Memory.’ In the film, Neeson plays Alex, a professional hitman who wants to retire after years of work, but his boss persuades him to take on one last job.
However, when the target is a little girl, Alex’s sense of morality resurfaces, and he refuses to carry out the job. He then befriends three federal agents, Vincent, Linda, and Hugo, and helps them take down a child trafficking racketeer.
The film is character-driven, with Neeson’s aging hitman forming an unlikely bond with the ethically questionable character with advanced Alzheimer’s. In contrast to his action-hero persona, Neeson’s portrayal here is more raw and vulnerable, showcasing his acting range.
Monica Bellucci also impresses as the child trafficking ring leader, with her timid demeanor and dark elegance commanding attention. However, while the film has its moments, it lacks the cinematic high that directors aim for to create a masterpiece, with little time spent on the little girl character.
Despite its shortcomings, ‘Memory’ serves as a reminder of the anti-hero-romanticism track that Neeson has popularized in Hollywood, but this time, he allows decay and honesty to take over the pseudo-machismo, creating a memorable and poignant performance.
Our Verdict
Memory feels like the worst episodes of “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” have been mixed together and stretched out to a tedious two hours. The script, penned by Dario Scardapane, is shallow in some parts and repetitive in others.
The portrayal of female characters is bleak at best. The movie includes numerous clichéd genre elements, such as a violent police interrogation and shots of the grizzled Agent Serra drinking Scotch while staring out a window.
The majority of American characters are played by British or Australian actors, which would be less noticeable if the movie weren’t set in Texas. Although Neeson delivers his typical action movie performance, with his deep-throated threats and a romance with a younger woman, he is noticeably underused in this film.
The story quickly shifts its focus to Agent Serra, relegating Alex and his physical limitations to the background. The original film’s appeal has been drained out, leaving a tedious and sometimes unintentionally comical narrative that oscillates between dull and vexing. We give this movie a rating of 3.7 out of 5.
Our Rating; 3.7/5.
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