`MEMORY' PLAYS MIND GAMES OF THE MOST PAINFUL KIND.Byline: Bob Strauss Film Critic THE BELGIAN THRILLER ``The Memory of a Killer'' boasts a killer gimmick. Its main protagonist is an aging hit man in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (ăls`hī'mərz, ôls–), degenerative disease of nerve cells in the cerebral cortex that leads to atrophy of the brain and senile dementia. . Unlike ``Memento'' or most other suspense films that feature memory loss, this one keeps the creeping dementia peripheral to the main action. Angelo Ledda's (Jan Decleir) forgetfulness Forgetfulness See also Carelessness. Absent-Minded Beggar, The ballad of forgetful soldiers who fought in the Boer War. [Br. Lit.: “The Absent-Minded Beg-gars” in Payton, 3] absent-minded professor really only comes into play at a handful of key plot points. It serves more as a motivation for the lifelong criminal to, in the twilight of his senses, attempt a kind of redemption the only way he knows how. So a lot of bad people die. And maybe a few not-so-bad. It's getting hard for Ledda to tell the difference. Based on ``The Alzheimer Case,'' a novel in Jef Geeraerts' series about mismatched Antwerp detective partners Eric Vincke (elegant, intellectual Koen De Bouw) and Freddy Verstuyft (Werner De Smedt, coarse and impulsive im·pul·sive adj. 1. Inclined or tending to act on impulse rather than thought. 2. Motivated by or resulting from impulse. im·pul ), ``Memory'' is essentially a crackling crack·ling n. 1. The production of a succession of slight sharp snapping noises. 2. cracklings The crisp bits that remain after rendering fat from meat or frying or roasting the skin, especially of a pig or a goose. policier. A series of murders related to a child prostitution case lead the investigators higher and higher up Belgium's elite power structure. This naturally gets their superiors and rival gendarmes upset, while the elusive, monumentally clever and ruthless Ledda becomes their primary guide to the top of the conspiracy chain. Vincke and Verstuyft want to catch him, sure, but Ledda is, in his violent way, more valuable to them on the loose. Directed by Erik Van Looy with a stylish arsenal of prowling prowl v. prowled, prowl·ing, prowls v.tr. To roam through stealthily, as in search of prey or plunder: prowled the alleys of the city after dark. v.intr. Steadicams, severe angles and zoom cuts, ``Memory'' is sometimes a bit too slick for its own good. It can also seem that Ledda is far too crafty for someone who is losing his mind. For that reason, and since it doesn't exploit the condition too obviously, some may think that the movie misses the boat where its main premise is concerned. I did, before I realized how subtly the filmmaker and Decleir make Ledda's recollections as much a part of his thought process as forgetfulness. The film also revitalizes the standard cop-criminal relationship with impassioned complexity. In the end, ``Memory of a Killer'' sticks, hauntingly, with you. Bob Strauss, (818) 713-3670 bob.strauss(at)dailynews.com THE MEMORY OF A KILLER - Three stars (R: violence, sex, nudity, language, children in jeopardy) Starring: Jan Decleir, Koen De Bouw, Werner De Smedt. Director: Erik Van Looy. Running time: 2 hr. Playing: Laemmle Town Center 5, Encino; Laemmle Playhouse 7, Pasadena; Laemmle Music Hall, Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, city (1990 pop. 31,971), Los Angeles co., S Calif., completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles; inc. 1914. The largely residential city is home to many motion-picture and television personalities. ; Edwards South Coast Village, Costa Mesa Costa Mesa (kŏs`tə mā`sə), city (1990 pop. 96,357), Orange co., S Calif., on the Pacific south of Santa Ana; inc. 1953. It is a transportation, residential, and light industrial center. . In a nutshell: A hit man with Alzheimer's tries to help Belgian detectives bust up Verb 1. bust up - smash or break forcefully; "The kid busted up the car" wrack, wreck ruin, destroy - destroy completely; damage irreparably; "You have ruined my car by pouring sugar in the tank!"; "The tears ruined her make-up" a child prostitution conspiracy while he still has the wits to do so. Taut, brutal, ironic. In Flemish and French with English subtitles sub·ti·tle n. 1. A secondary, usually explanatory title, as of a literary work. 2. A printed translation of the dialogue of a foreign-language film shown at the bottom of the screen. tr.v. . CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Jan Decleir portrays a hit man with Alzheimer's disease who tries to help break up a child prostitution conspiracy while he is still able in ``The Memory of a Killer.'' |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion