Peter Dinklage discovers that some memories are better off forgotten in a slightly sci-fi movie.
Rememory is now for free for a limited time on Google Play and in theaters September 8th.
Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage currently has a new feature length film on Google Play that you can watch for free. All it will cost to see Rememory is nearly two hours of your time...but that is something that you’re probably going to want back.
Director Mark Palansky co-wrote Rememory with Michael Vukadinovich, and there are some intriguing ideas about memories within the film. There’s even a way to monetize memories through the use of “the Machine,” which is literally what the device is called in the movie. Dinklage plays Sam Bloom, a man who is haunted by the death of his brother and his inability to recall or understand his last words. Gordon Dunn (Martin Donovan)’s Machine could help Sam remember, and Gordon’s apparent murder leaves Sam with the chance to use the Machine on himself and others. But out of a sense of debt to Gordon, Sam attempts to find his killer.
Dinklage is surrounded by a very talented cast, including Julia Ormond, Henry Ian Cusick, Évelyne Brochu, and the late Anton Yelchin. That’s why it is so frustrating when the film squanders those talents with listless scenes and characters that barely have any life to them. The only times that Rememory really comes to life are when Sam forges a bond with Ormond’s Carolyn, the widow of Gordon Dunn. It’s never fully developed into a relationship in the film, but Dinklage and Ormond played off each other well.
The film’s low key approach to its sci-fi conceit of memories could be forgiven, even though it’s presentation is neither original nor memorable. Dinklage almost makes it work, even though the film’s pace is incredibly sluggish. But where the movie really runs off the rails is in its attempts to make it into more of a thriller. When Cusick’s executive, Lawton, essentially threatens Carolyn and Sam, it’s kind of hilarious. But there isn’t any follow-through on that later in the film, which only makes the moment more pathetic in retrospect. There are very few dramatic stakes in this story, and it leaves a lot of potential on the table.
Then there’s the ending, where Palansky and Vukadinovich embraced their inner M Night Shyamalan for a twist that completely fails to make an impact. The filmmakers seemed so sure that the moment we see how the characters are connected that there would be a moment of catharsis and euphoria for the viewer. Instead, it’s very forced and almost embarrassing to watch. Not even Dinklage could pull off something that ludicrous, and it absolutely drags down the rest of the film.
There was definitely potential in the story, but the director and his co-writer simply weren’t up to the task of executing their ideas or bringing the characters to life in a way that resonated. Their finished movie is very difficult to sit through and it wasted a premise and a cast that many filmmakers would have given anything for. One of the features of the Machine is the ability to erase memories as well as revisit them. I’d take the first option, but you can avoid the issue altogether. This may be a free movie, but it’s not worth two hours of your time.
The Verdict
Rememory somehow managed to attract Peter Dinklage, Julia Ormond, and other established performers, and yet it completely lets them down. The plodding pace, the lack of stakes, and the underdeveloped story mean that Rememory is a film better left forgotten. Good ideas are no substitute for great execution, and the end result was far less than the sum of its parts.
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