An assassin-for-hire finds that he’s become a target after refusing to complete a job for a dangerous criminal organization.
Liam Neeson just doesn’t stop. He’s starred as the merciless killer with a heart of gold in no less than five films since 2020 and at least a dozen since 2008’s “Taken,” the film that cemented the actor’s said status. A remake of the 2003 Belgian film “The Memory of a Killer,” Martin Campbell’s “Memory” isn’t just another “Taken” clone, at least not exactly. Neeson again plays an assassin with a conscience, sure, but the stalwart filmmaker adds just enough gravitas, relevance, and flair to make the film stand out from the bunch.
For one, there’s a greater sense of verisimilitude than your average Neeson action flick. Set on the Texas-Mexico border, “Memory” looks and feels grimy and despondent and (somewhat) realistic, thanks largely to cinematographer David Tattersall. Campbell and Co don’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s a sturdy one, and in a sea of cinematic clones, it’ll do.
Neeson’s Alex Lewis is quite grimy himself — an aging gunman planning to retire, but not before killing a man right in front of his sick mother. Alex is also rapidly losing his memory, bound to end up in an asylum like his older brother. He scribbles notes down on his arm (allusions to “Memento?”) to maintain a grasp of reality.
In the meantime, agent Vincent Serra (Guy Pearce; allusion to “Memento?”) saves a young girl from her pimp father via an epic window plunge. When the girl is found murdered later, Vincent and Alex’s paths cross. Although they pursue the same thing — to avenge her death — they repeatedly face off against one another. And then there’s Monica Bellucci’s mogul Davana Sealman; I’ll let you discover how she ties into the plot.
Cheesy moments abound, sometimes because the filmmaker bites off a bit more than he can chew. Hefty statements on the dire state of immigration, rediscovering compassion while losing grasp of reality, and the plight of trafficked girls are drowned out by shoddy dialogue and gunfights. Some of it is chuckle-inducing. “Scum,” Alex says in disgust after shooting a nasty dude through a pillow. “I want to make sure they fuck you to death, old man, you cop-killing piece of shit,” another character proclaims. Pigeon shit ends up being pivotal in the case.
Overall, however, the subject matter is relentlessly dark — molested, dead children, murdered innocent women — and there’s a slight imbalance to the all-too-real drama, violence, and ridiculousness.
“Memory” is very much old-school in its approach, which is sometimes oddly refreshing, but mostly feels dated. I did appreciate the ending, which had the courage of its convictions. There’s real pathos to the fate of one of the central characters.
Neeson, yet again, manages to make a despicable man charming and easy to root for. As his memory crumbles, he literally sets his bullet wounds aflame (a raw sequence), and you wince with him when he’s hurt or when he kicks ass. Pearce has rarely been as chiseled/weathered as he is here yet gets the job done, as always. Bellucci brings elegance and class to the proceedings.
While it doesn’t qualify as a “good time,” there’s enough to like about “Memory” to give it a shot. After watching it, expect it to evaporate from yours in days, if not hours.
In Theaters Friday, April 22nd
