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Greetings once more from the darkness. It’s simple to overlook that Russell Crowe was as soon as Oscar nominated three years in a row, successful Greatest Actor for Ridley Scott’s epic, GLADIATOR (2000), and has most likely deserved two or three extra nominations. His popularity has not received him many business buddies through the years, however to his credit score, he retains plugging away – some minor roles in huge movies, and a few lead roles in smaller movies. Crowe can nonetheless command the display screen together with his presence, even when the fabric is slight (see THE POPE’S EXORCIST, 2023).
This venture from writer-director Adam Cooper (author, EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS, 2014) and his frequent writing associate Invoice Collage has been tailored from Eugen O. Chirovici’s 2017 novel, “The Ebook of Mirrors”. It’s Cooper’s directorial debut, and it’s entertaining sufficient, particularly if one can keep away from comparisons to different related crime drama movies, particularly the traditional MEMENTO (2000). On this one, Crowe stars as Roy Freeman, a former murder detective who misplaced his badge after a drunk driving accident. He has just lately undergone an experimental mind process designed to assist him regain among the reminiscences Alzheimer’s has robbed him of. Roy’s condo has notes posted in all places. These notes remind him of his identify, remind him of his shoe measurement, and remind him that his Hungry Man dinners are sizzling once they come out of the microwave. Seems, it’s too late for a notice to remind him to not put the TV distant in that very same mircrowave.
A ten 12 months previous case he labored is introduced up by a gaggle seeking to stop an harmless man from being executed. Roy has no reminiscence of the case, so he re-visits the recordsdata and tracks down his previous associate, Jimmy Remis (performed by Tommy Flanagan, in a reunion of GLADIATOR actors). What follows is a sufficiently intricate net of characters to maintain us and guessing. The homicide sufferer was Professor Wieder (Marton Csokas), and the standard suspects embrace his PTSD-suffering handyman Wayne Devereaux (Thomas M Wright), Wieder’s analysis assistant and lover Laura Baines (Karen Gillan, Nebula within the Marvel Universe), Laura’s different lover Richard Finn (Harry Greenwood) who’s writing a e-book on the homicide, and a pair different characters tossed in to knock Roy and us off monitor.
Flanagan and Csokas are two of my favourite character actors – each all the time deliver one thing fascinating to their roles, and right here it’s Gillan’s Laura that appears to supply essentially the most intrigue – altering names, locales, and personalities, all whereas publishing a e-book on a concept of how ‘unhealthy’ reminiscences may be changed with good ones, or erased altogether (consider one other traditional movie, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, 2004). Roy’s flashbacks are dealt with by fast spurts of moments that he struggles to assemble, which permits us to wrestle proper alongside him. Roy’s plight leaves us with the thought that it’s doable to seek out your self, and never like what you see. Reminiscence is clearly essential to the story, and for a second-level crime thriller, there’s sufficient right here to maintain us going till the conclusion.
In theaters starting March 22, 2024
David Ferguson is a lifelong film lover and passionate reviewer. He’s additionally a husband, father, enterprise proprietor, Longhorn, and baseball aficionado. Member of the DFW Movie Critics Affiliation.
Twitter: @fergusontx
website:
Newest posts by David Ferguson (see all)
Greetings once more from the darkness. It’s simple to overlook that Russell Crowe was as soon as Oscar nominated three years in a row, successful Greatest Actor for Ridley Scott’s epic, GLADIATOR (2000), and has most likely deserved two or three extra nominations. His popularity has not received him many business buddies through the years, however to his credit score, he retains plugging away – some minor roles in huge movies, and a few lead roles in smaller movies. Crowe can nonetheless command the display screen together with his presence, even when the fabric is slight (see THE POPE’S EXORCIST, 2023).
This venture from writer-director Adam Cooper (author, EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS, 2014) and his frequent writing associate Invoice Collage has been tailored from Eugen O. Chirovici’s 2017 novel, “The Ebook of Mirrors”. It’s Cooper’s directorial debut, and it’s entertaining sufficient, particularly if one can keep away from comparisons to different related crime drama movies, particularly the traditional MEMENTO (2000). On this one, Crowe stars as Roy Freeman, a former murder detective who misplaced his badge after a drunk driving accident. He has just lately undergone an experimental mind process designed to assist him regain among the reminiscences Alzheimer’s has robbed him of. Roy’s condo has notes posted in all places. These notes remind him of his identify, remind him of his shoe measurement, and remind him that his Hungry Man dinners are sizzling once they come out of the microwave. Seems, it’s too late for a notice to remind him to not put the TV distant in that very same mircrowave.
A ten 12 months previous case he labored is introduced up by a gaggle seeking to stop an harmless man from being executed. Roy has no reminiscence of the case, so he re-visits the recordsdata and tracks down his previous associate, Jimmy Remis (performed by Tommy Flanagan, in a reunion of GLADIATOR actors). What follows is a sufficiently intricate net of characters to maintain us and guessing. The homicide sufferer was Professor Wieder (Marton Csokas), and the standard suspects embrace his PTSD-suffering handyman Wayne Devereaux (Thomas M Wright), Wieder’s analysis assistant and lover Laura Baines (Karen Gillan, Nebula within the Marvel Universe), Laura’s different lover Richard Finn (Harry Greenwood) who’s writing a e-book on the homicide, and a pair different characters tossed in to knock Roy and us off monitor.
Flanagan and Csokas are two of my favourite character actors – each all the time deliver one thing fascinating to their roles, and right here it’s Gillan’s Laura that appears to supply essentially the most intrigue – altering names, locales, and personalities, all whereas publishing a e-book on a concept of how ‘unhealthy’ reminiscences may be changed with good ones, or erased altogether (consider one other traditional movie, ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, 2004). Roy’s flashbacks are dealt with by fast spurts of moments that he struggles to assemble, which permits us to wrestle proper alongside him. Roy’s plight leaves us with the thought that it’s doable to seek out your self, and never like what you see. Reminiscence is clearly essential to the story, and for a second-level crime thriller, there’s sufficient right here to maintain us going till the conclusion.
In theaters starting March 22, 2024
David Ferguson is a lifelong film lover and passionate reviewer. He’s additionally a husband, father, enterprise proprietor, Longhorn, and baseball aficionado. Member of the DFW Movie Critics Affiliation.
Twitter: @fergusontx
website:
Newest posts by David Ferguson (see all)