Movie Review: ‘Memory’

What we remember, what we forget, and whether we can choose those or not are at the heart of ‘Memory,’ a poignant character study of two damaged people.

(L to R) Peter Sarsgaard and Jessica Chastain in 'Memory.' Photo: Ketchup Entertainment.

Opening in theaters in limited release on December 22nd before releasing wide on January 5th is ‘Memory,’ starring Jessica Chastain, Peter Sarsgaard, Merritt Wever, Josh Charles, Brooke Timber, and Jessica Harper.

Initial Thoughts

‘Memory’ is a small and resolutely independent feature from writer-director Michel Franco, the Mexican filmmaker behind such provocative, frequently bleak films as ‘After Lucia,’ ‘Sundown,’ and the frightening, politically charged ‘New Order.’ With ‘Memory,’ he begins the film in a way that makes one think he’s heading down yet another dark path, but then takes an abrupt turn, making ‘Memory’ a movie that at least affirms the possibility that people can find love and hope again. Anchored by a fantastic cast, ‘Memory’ is a cinematic chamber piece that leaves one both haunted and moved.

Story and Direction

Jessica Chastain in 'Memory.' Photo: Ketchup Entertainment.

Sylvia (Jessica Chastain) is a single mother who works at a facility for developmentally disabled adults. She’s in recovery, regularly attends her AA meetings, and carefully monitors the activities of her teenage daughter Anna (Brooke Timber), to the point that Anna often spends nights away with her cousins at the home of Sylvia’s sister Olivia (Merritt Wever).

Estranged from her own mother (Jessica Harper) and with a history of substance addiction and sexual abuse, Sylvia keeps as much of the world out as possible – locking the door and setting the alarm in her apartment, located in a gritty part of Brooklyn, without even thinking about it. But all that changes when she is convinced by Olivia to attend her high school reunion – at which a strange man abruptly seats himself next to her and then follows her home when she leaves.

When she wakes up the next morning to find the man sleeping in the rain outside her building, Sylvia’s caretaker instinct takes over – and she soon learns that the man, Saul (Peter Sarsgaard), is a widower suffering from early onset dementia. He constantly loses track of where he is and what he’s doing, and lives with his brother Isaac (Josh Charles). But Sylvia thinks she remembers him from their high school days – and believes he was involved in some of the abuse she suffered in high school.

(L to R) Peter Sarsgaard and Jessica Chastain in 'Memory.' Photo: Ketchup Entertainment.

The truth turns out to be different than she thought, and no one is more surprised than Sylvia when she is asked by Isaac if she can work as Saul’s caretaker. As a result, their relationship takes a turn in an unpredictable direction – unpredictable because of Saul’s affliction and because these two people are walled off from the world in their own separate ways.

Michel Franco presents the story and characters here in the same unflinching, minimalist fashion with which he carved out the more brutal horrors of ‘After Lucia’ and ‘New Order.’ The opening plays almost like a horror movie, as Saul unsettlingly follows Sylvia home for no discernible reason and to her mounting unease. Then when she confronts him about the past, there’s a sense that ‘Memory’ will turn into a dark psychological exercise. But Franco pivots again, and while ‘Memory’ does explore some disturbing material, the director finds a careful balance with a story of two people finding a connection and giving themselves a second chance at living again.

The tone of ‘Memory’ rarely wavers, and each piece of Franco’s uncluttered script feels real and purposeful (it’s helped by the film’s real New York locations, which are almost all off the usual beaten track of filming in the Big Apple). This is a restrained movie, but the questions it raises about memory, forgiveness, and empathy are profound ones.

The Performances

(L to R) Peter Sarsgaard and Jessica Chastain in 'Memory.' Photo: Ketchup Entertainment.

Jessica Chastain, of course, is one of the finest actresses of her generation, and Peter Sarsgaard is quietly one of the best around as well, with both actors bringing a fierce intelligence and direct emotional wavelength to each performance they give. ‘Memory’ is no different: Chastain effortlessly swerves away from the showier work of her Oscar-winning turn in ‘Eyes of Tammy Faye,’ playing Sylvia with no makeup, drab clothing, and a muted style, as befitting a character who wants to retreat from the world. Yet you can feel the tension simmering within her, and when it reaches a boiling point during a jarring breakdown at her sister’s house, you realize just how much pain Sylvia has been carrying around.

Sarsgaard, meanwhile, plays Saul as a man with a sort of film over him; every once in a while that film melts away and the real Saul – a kind, gentle, passionate man -- breaks out like a ray of sunshine. It’s a subtle piece of work that avoids many of the cliches of playing someone with dementia that might show up in a lesser-written character. Yet you can see Saul struggling as he must literally live his life from moment to moment, while knowing that the blank spaces between those moments can lead to disaster.

The rest of the small supporting cast is quite excellent as well, with Merritt Wever of ‘Nurse Jackie’ fame doing her usual outstanding work as Olivia, whose loving yet awkward relationship with Sylvia hides some terrible secrets. And as fans of ‘70s cult cinema classics ‘Suspiria’ and ‘Phantom of the Paradise,’ the sight of Jessica Harper is a welcome one, especially in a meatier role than she usually gets.

Final Thoughts

Jessica Chastain in 'Memory.' Photo: Ketchup Entertainment.

This is a different kind of film for Michel Franco, and a refreshing change of pace for him. While it still probes into dark corners of human behavior, ‘Memory’ does strike a more positive chord in some ways. Yet even without its more tragic aspects, the film still makes one think about our own family dynamics, the way we conduct our lives, and our assumptions about others – not to mention the way we choose to remember (or forget) all of those. It’s a movie with incredibly subtle performances and few “big” moments, yet its characters and story stay with you – and can hit close to home.

‘Memory’ receives 8 out of 10 stars.

Memory

R1 hr 44 minJan 5th, 2024

Showtimes & Tickets

Watch Memory Online

What is the plot of ‘Memory’?

Sylvia is a social worker who carefully controls and schedules every aspect of her life, including her job, her regular AA meetings, and her interaction with her daughter. But an unsettling encounter at her high school reunion – with a man she thinks she remembers all too well – sets Sylvia on a course that will have her confront her own life choices and the memories she chooses to keep and let go.