Due to this film being released about 12 hours ago, I will refrain from mentioning any spoilers.
So right off the bat we should all acknowledge that the name of this film is completely retarded. There, we got that out of the way.
Brief Synopsis
Guy creates a machine that shows people's memories exactly as they happened. He dies, foul play is suspected and Peter Dinklage becomes involved. Hard to say much more than that without spoiling stuff. It is almost like a murder mystery sort of film, but with a lot of other shit thrown in too. Maybe they just had too many ideas that they couldn't fit together into one film.
The Good
Peter Dinklage carried this film. It had the potential to be truly awful had it not been for him. This post is not going to make the film sound brilliant, because at the moment I am kind of pissed at the film having such potential and falling a little short, but it is worth watching just for Peter Dinklage. It was also nice if not kind of bizarre to see the late Anton Yelchin appear in yet another film from beyond the grave. By my count, he has racked up an impressive 35 acting credits in TV and film since his death last year. At this rate his filmography may extend well into the next decade.
Whilst the plot could have had a faster pace, it is fairly solid and isn't see through. I started watching it at about 4am so I might just be tired, but I didn't see the twists coming.
The Bad
Sci-fi films sometimes have a tendency to focus too much on the thing that makes it a sci-fi film. An example of this is probably that piece of shit Johnny Depp film that came out a couple of years ago, I think it was called Transcendence. They focused way too hard on the sci-fi bit and as a result there was a really thin plot that was completely uninteresting. Rememory (sigh) avoids this, but pushes too hard in the other direction. There was a chance to really play around with the memory device and they just didn't do it. It is true that it is mentioned that the device can have bad side effects, and they do have a few scenes where memories start to creep into the real world a little bit. However, it is completely cosmetic and offers no real feeling of unease.
The film was ruined by it trying so hard to present you with messages. There is no substance to any of the shallow, distracting and frankly uninteresting quotes about memories that are peppered throughout the entire film. It is to a level where its almost masturbatory. The film sprays sentimental memory-related observation jizz all over your face like you can't get enough, but really it's just unpleasant. For example, at one point there is a brief shot in the film where you see the memory machine creator's name. In that split second, the director felt the need to inform you that his middle name begins with an O, making his initials spell out "G. O. D." Fuck yourself with a sharp stick.
Rotten Tomatoes currently gives this film a 17% or something, but there are not many reviews posted there so far. IMDB is 8.2, which in my opinion is quite generous.
PMYA: 74%
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