For an aging demographic, there’s something viscerally satisfying about watching Liam Neeson beat the crap out of another bad guy. As our bodies grow weaker, it can be fun to watch someone giving in to the most base of human instincts. But fans of the veteran thespian’s second act have come to learn that, after exhausting the Taken franchise and perhaps peaking with Cold Pursuit, the Irishman’s thirst for vengeance has become as reliable as a reverse mortgage plan. Despite some gratifying moments, Memory, doesn’t fully pay off. But it adds another level of anxiety that resonates with those already suffering from physical limitations: memory loss.
Not to be confused with Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Memoria, this title seems to be handed down as an afterthought, while the source material is more specific. Directed by Martin Campbell from a script by Dario Scardapane, Memory is based on a novel by Jef Geeraerts and is a remake of Belgian thriller The Alzheimer Case. To its credit, this script doesn’t give away its protagonist’s affliction right away. Neeson plays Alex, a seasoned, efficient hit-man who works for shady figures in Mexico. Meanwhile, on the other side of the border, Guy Pearce plays Vincent, an FBI agent who’s been trying to crack down on child trafficking in El Paso.
Alex gets on his bosses’ bad side when he refuses to kill a teenager who’s the only surviving witness to her father’s underage prostitution ring. But that’s not his only problem; he’s in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, and he has to scrawl notes on his arm in magic marker to keep track of where he is. As Alex starts meting out vengeance on his employers (which lead up the food chain to a real estate mogul played by Monica Bellucci), he leaves behind a bloody trail for the FBI.
Alex and Vincent have a common enemy but different work ethics; and in the end, both know that justice will be elusive. That’s not all that ties the two men; Alex’s failing mind, like the casting of Pearce, echoes Memento, and if Neeson seems to be going through the motions here, Pearce seems more engaged, maybe because the role reminds him of his breakout performance.
Memory has the bones of a good thriller, but everyone involved has done better. Campbell, who turns 79 this year, was on hand for two different and respectable 007 incarnations in Goldeneye and Casino Royale, but he seemed on autopilot for the 2017 Jackie Chan vehicle The Foreigner, and he sleepwalks through some forgettable set pieces here. Still, there are flashes of interest, and Neeson’s minders find more new ways to push their broken-down action figure to the limit—like a scene in which Alex cauterizes a bullet wound by pouring a shot of vodka in the hole and setting it on fire. Sure, it may have been done before but Neeson’s anti-heroic persona, especially at this late stage, comes off more vulnerable and mortal than the typical B-movie he-man. Unfortunately, try as he might, Neeson can’t pay us back for a disappointing final act.
Photo courtesy of Open Road, Briarcliff Entertainment
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