Remember

I didn't have many expectations when I started watching the movie. I am particularly interested in WWII movies, and I have watched many movies that deal with the Nazi period. However, this one goes beyond that typical movie. We get to know a man with dementia trying to avenge the death of his family. We start off an interesting idea. The hour went by quickly, as we go into the depth of this revenge. However, it is the ending that takes it all. It left me speechless and at the same time, left me thinking, reflecting on every character and situation. If you're in doubt whether to watch it or not, let me advise you: watch it, you won't regret it. However, be ready to explore some deep thoughts afterward.

A drama-thriller about a 80+ year old man with dementia who set out to avenge his dead family, killed by a nazi in Auswitz whom he finds out is also living in America. And goes on a road-trip to find him and bring him some cold and long-earned justice.

Christoffer Plummer plays the role very well and in a world of entertainment where the expiry-date for lead-roles is at a young age for many it is rather refreshing to see a man of his age (85 when it was being filmed) lead a drama-thriller like this.

The smaller roles are also played well, Dean Norris stands out in a memorable performance.

I'm not gonna go into too much details but it's well worth seeing and deserves more viewers for sure.

There have been a lot of movies about the Holocaust in the last couple of years, some very good. But none have had the suspenseful screenplay of Remember. This movie is one of the best efforts from director Atom Egoyan since he showed such promise with The Sweet Hereafter in the late 1990s. Perhaps the secret here was his using someone else's screenplay rather than his own.

Excellently acted (when is Christopher Plummer not excellent?), staged, and filmed, and edited down to a taut 95 minutes, this film succeeds not "merely" as a Holocaust reminder but as a self-contained thriller: an engrossing and ultimately thoroughly satisfying piece of cinema.

In a striking similarity to Memento, a forgetful man wanders around with one goal of finding the men from his past. This is not the ordinary thriller as it's significantly slower with a peculiar lead character, yet it's surprisingly just as effective as any high octane action . The journey is not a happy one, and it builds audience's expectation in clever way that when the goal is reached, none of the outcomes seems to be pleasant.

Zev (Christopher Plummer) is an old man with dementia. After the death of his wife, his friend hands him a letter containing a mission to find the men from Auschwitz. Christopher Plummer is truly exceptional, he displays the courage as though his character is a secret agent despite deep down he's plagued with terror and uncertainty. His often meek demeanor is sympathetic to watch, but at the same time one can invest in his endeavor and motive.

The visual and audio are designed to create suspense even in trivial moments. Its main focus is a man with dementia, and little things might rattle him, so any bump in the trip proves to be challenging. Acting from the rest of cast is commendable. Characters would most likely help Zev, yet there's an unsettling feeling that their reactions can be antagonistic, especially since Zev is not particularly suave with words.

It plays with the awkward situation really well with the solemn music and view of scenery that feels darker even though it never literally becomes that way. On the other hand, this could also hamper the pace. This is far from action thriller, more investment is made towards the drama instead of gun-slinging action.

Zev's adventure is a bizarre and slow one, it's an ironic tale of both kindness and cruelty of others. Unsettling yet charming in its somber steps.

This film tells the story of a holocaust survivor who now has dementia and lives in a nursing home in the USA. With the encouragement from another holocaust survivor, he sets out on a trip to hunt down their tormentors.

I expected "Remember" to be touching, but I have not expected it to be so completely powerful. It tells the sad life of an old man struggling with basic daily life because of his dementia. Then, it tells a heart wrenching story of revenge seeking. It is already a captivating story, but the story only gets better. The ending is something of a shock which leaves me literally paralysed with emotions. It leaves my brain frantically feeling the emotions of the various characters in the film, especially Zeb's and the other guy in the nursing home. The story astounds me, leaves me with tingles in my head for many minutes after the film ends. I'm made speechless by the intensity of the story. And the even more amazing thing is that the story is very believable, to the point that it could happen to anyone of the elderly generation.

I think "Remember" is a must see for everyone. Make time to find it and watch it!