Memory (2006)

Thanks for the memories!

Simply Perfect

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Best movie ever!

I don't know why this is going round as a horror movie, it's not even close. Memory is a thriller and a passable one at that.Billy Zane, Dennis Hopper, Tricia Helfer and Ann-Margret star in this clever though ultimately flawed little tale of a man recieving premonitions and his efforts to decipher them.This is evidence once again that Billy Zane is one of Hollywoods most underrated, underutilised and underappreciated actors. The man can do it all yet gets stuck with wall to wall b-movies.Memory has some nice ideas but fails to present them very well, it's one of those films that could have been great if handled by the right people but alas wasn't.Decent enough effort but should have been better.The Good:Cast deliverSome nice ideasThe Bad:Generic deliveryThings I Learnt From This Movie:Billy Zane needs more appreciationDennis Hopper CAN do roles without coming across as weird and/or disturbing

This was a very, very good movie! I thought the dialog was completely realistic and the reactions of the characters to the events as they unfolded were very believable. A great job of storytelling and a great story!!! One thing I really liked was that the background music was just that, BACKGROUND! So many films today have music that so over powers the spoken lines that they cannot be understood. I watched this for the first time on DVD and also enjoyed the "Making of" segment of the special features. Davlin and Badalucco are fantastic storytellers and movie makers. This is a don't miss movie as will be any movie either of these men are involved with. I do wish that the DVD had closed captioning

After accidentally touching an unknown drug, Taylor Briggs (Billy Zane) begins having flashbacks to the life of someone else -- a child abductor who has never been caught. Can he put the pieces together and solve the crime before the kidnapper abducts again? I have said in other reviews that Billy Zane really makes a movie. My trust in that statement was fractured after seeing "The Mad" (though I don't blame Zane), but once more restored after this picture. He appears in practically every scene. While not the greatest film you'll see (it has a very made-for-TV or straight-to-video feel about it), the plot is interesting and the characters likable. Billy Zane, of course, helps tremendously by being the evil twin of Ben Affleck.It also helps to have Dennis Hopper play Taylor's foster father Max Lichtenstein, although his only purpose in this film is to show up at random times with a few beers and cigars. Oh well, he's still better here than he was in "Land of the Dead". "Max," says Hopper, "is a guy whose wife has died and he's sort of coasting through life a bit like a ghost. But it's a really warm relationship that he has with Taylor -- something genuine and real." That's a good quote. And Hopper knows Max, if the rumors are true, because he spent weeks studying his lines despite being a relatively small character -- residents around town would catch him in restaurants reading. Tricia Helfer was also pretty decent, though not particularly noteworthy.This was a plot-driven film, to be sure. Rated R for "language and frightening images", there's no nudity or gore here. The frightening images, as far as I can tell, are just a person in a mask. Nothing really disturbing. There's a photo album that may be thought as disturbing by some. I thought it was deviously brilliant. The plot was excellent because it's not only a thriller but also a mystery (a race against time to solve a child abduction case, while the lead also must find how he's connected to the kidnapper). There's even sub-mysteries (such as how the lead's girlfriend knows about the kidnappings) that might leave you guessing. And random shout-out: nice use of a cell phone as a flashlight. We've all been there.I give this film credit because I thought I had it figured out before it was half over. My two guesses about certain plots were close, but ultimately both wrong. There's a few twists you won't see coming. The "big reveal" is disappointing only if you're being overly critical, as they sort of dump it all on you at once for no reason. But I thought it was okay.I wouldn't have rented this film on my own, but having been asked to review it, I'm glad I did. If you're scanning the new releases and find this, you could do much worse. I saw it with two friends and we all seemed to enjoy it, so it caters to a wider range than just myself. And Billy Zane and Dennis Hopper are in it. Worth checking out if you want a story different from your usual serial killers and splatter films.

I almost did not rent this movie due to the art on the DVD jacket, which is similar to the horror genre, but I gave it a look-see just in case. I'm glad I did.Even though I had the baddie figured out early on in the movie, I found the concept of genetic memories with a different slant in a movie to be interesting. I wish more had been added into this subject regarding the powder and the Indians, which would have given this movie more of a smart flash.Regardless, I did enjoy the performances of Zane, Margaret and Hopper. I was pleasantly surprised to see Zane with more meat on his bones and is becoming a more seasoned actor. Of course, from a female perspective, I certainly didn't turn away when he took his shirt off! He's still hot. I think that this threesome made a very good complimentary combination together, and would like to see other movies similarly cast.The movie didn't really drag too much in my opinion as other comments made here. There are more visuals than explaining dialog/narrative, which were all very well done. If more dollars could have gone into this movie, it would have been a bigger box office seller. The talent was definitely there in the casting, directing, audio and visuals, but stops a wee short in lacking the extra substance, such as what I've mentioned ... something more about the genetic memory angle.All in all, I liked this movie and recommend the rental fee, and enjoy some popcorn.