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Reminiscence

Reminiscence Film Critique – An Apocalyptic And Ambitious Noir Style Work A Science Fiction Noir That Is Heavy In Style And Light In Nature

“Reminiscence,” Directed By Lisa Joy (Christopher Nolan’s Brother’s Wife), Is A Futuristic Neo-Novel Starring Hugh Jackman That Seeks To Combine Several Genres.

But the important question is whether the effect of post-apocalyptic science fiction has been able to reach such a goal? To find the answer, along with film criticism Reminiscence.

The story of Westworld creator Lisa Joey’s first feature film takes place in post-apocalyptic Miami. A seemingly horrific war and more climate change have flooded the city. All neighborhoods have disappeared underwater, and in others, only the top floor of high-rise buildings is above water. On the other hand, the unbearable heat has made it impossible for people to function during the day, so this city and its people come to life at sunset. The elites and the wealthy have also separated themselves from this frightening reality by building dams; Which means that they take possession of the remnants of the drylands and enjoy their wealth and power to the fullest.

In this frightening reality, we encounter two central characters named Nick and Emily, who are practically survivors and veterans of the recent war who still suffer from their spiritual wounds. On the other hand, these two characters are trying to survive in the unequal world around them. . So they run a small business together. The trade is almost balanced thanks to a special device previously used to take prisoners of war to testify. In fact, these two can bring back good memories of people with this special device. Meanwhile, an attractive woman named May enters Nick and Emily’s workplace in red. May’s reason for not being here is that he does not remember where he left the keys to his house, so he wants to recreate his memories of last night.

After this meeting, an immediate romance begins between May and Nick. But the woman suddenly disappears after a few months. And the man of the story, who can not cope with it, first spends many hours in his reminder and remembers the happy moments he experienced with his lover. But then he begins his private investigation to find out what happened to the missing woman. These events are the currents that form the central scenario of this cinematic work. In fact, to describe the film, suffice it to say that Lisa Joey’s first work as a director and screenwriter is an apocalyptic noir with a Nolani-like sci-fi cinematic flavor that goes bad from the start and becomes a combination of a complex and boring genre.

If we want to criticize the film “Reminder seriously,” we must say: from Lisa Joy’s screenwriting to her directing and acting, everyone is lame in this work. Undoubtedly, this film is a film that shows the strengths of different types of works like Steven Spielberg’s “Minority Report” and Christopher Nolan’s “Indoctrination.” Still, it cannot find the right balance between them and the story. In fact, the filmmaker never makes full use of the science fiction ideas and promises within his story; Instead, Lisa Joey tries to bridge the gap in her work by turning it into a classic noir film with a dazzling visual style. But this move did not work in any way.

Seeing this movie, “You are going on a journey, a journey in memory.”

In the film’s first half-hour, the director spends considerable time explaining the technology that allows people to explore their memory. Still, halfway through, this ambitious sci-fi work suddenly turns into a romance and an eye-opener. Beating becomes an exciting trailer that is incomprehensible to the viewer. Some may attribute this style change to Lisa Joey’s personal ability and difference from other filmmakers, but these moves are nothing more than an absurd show. As a writer, Lisa Joey brings exciting and valuable ideas to the table. But in its implementation, it has nothing to say and is really very raw.

It should also be noted that despite the originality of the story “Reminiscence,” this is not a new and pristine story, even with the sci-fi element added to the memory technology or reminder, this film is a work influenced by the historical past of cinema; For example, classic noir films such as ” Laura, “From the Past ” and the enduring film ” The Third Man ” have all followed characters in similar directions to Lisa Joey. But Nick’s main problem in finding May in Reminiscence is not that the film is overwhelmed by genre influences; The main problem is that none of the characters are convincing.

On the other hand, Hugh Jackman is a very talented actor who has always been revered for his compelling performances. But this lovely Hugh Jackman is in a bad situation in this work as a vulgar hero. We have to believe that he is madly in love with Ferguson and that the two have hot sexual chemistry, but the film cannot establish any chemistry or connection between the two. The reason is that Jackman can not arouse the obsession of a person like Michael Douglas, who may have been able to play a film like this twenty years ago. Jackman and Ferguson, who seem to be very complex and reserved in the context of their roles, have completely made mistakes in the execution of their roles, and this gap is directly related to Lisa Joey.

But why is this weakness in understanding the role related to Lisa Joey’s screenplay and direction? Because basically, Hugh Jackman and Ferguson do the best they can with what they are given, but they can’t live up to the good relationship between May and May. The overall atmosphere of the work does not give the audience enough time to invest in the central love of the film before May’s character disappears, and the few scenes we see before this twist lack the kind of romantic spark that makes the dynamics of the two believable. Although two of the widest scenes between Nick and May are seductive, Lisa Joey’s screenplay quickly enters the next scene before creating any sexual tension between the characters, which is essentially inconsistent with the tone and style of the work.

On the other hand, the superficiality revealed by these characters at the beginning of the film’s relationship is also reflected in the rest of their shared memories and moments. These gaps indicate Lisa Joey’s inability to perform; For example, although the Miami sunken environment is well-designed and dramatically realized in the film, the filmmaker has not explored it sufficiently. Worse, this world and its dystopian details, repeated for no apparent reason throughout the film, are introduced through an audio narrative by Nick, or Hugh Jackman, which has no bearing on the story.

In fact, this soundtrack is more like anything Lisa Joey uses for unnecessary metaphors in the story, such as when Jackman compares memories to “pearls on a necklace” or describes himself as a “paddler.” It teaches that it guides people in one direction. In fact, this is nothing but an absurd show.

The film also unpleasantly tries to enter a cinema in some scenes that do not fit in; By this cinema, I mean blockbuster action films. Perhaps these actions are aimed at attracting the attention of Hugh Jackman fans. But unfortunately, while it basically contains a noir-like mystery with a romantic background, the film strangely plunges into a foolish battle with a chase/fight sequence that seems to be actually borrowed from another film. Has been. So with these scenes, Lisa Joey enters another genre that does not fit the identity of her film. Of course, at least these contradictory moments bring to life a moment that would otherwise be a deadly boring work.

Also, of all the different actors in the film, Teddy Newton emerges as a prominent figure and brings a level of pain and honesty to Watts that is not present in many of the other key characters. Even when Lisa Joey’s screenplay becomes too clichéd with the clichés of a “drunk mechanic” within Watts, Newton still somehow manages to show the originality of his role. However, neither the clear visual style of the film nor Newton’s sharp acting is enough to save this mediocre-down work.

The main problem with Lisa Joey’s work in both Westworld and Reminiscence is that she creates characters that you feel need to be solved like a puzzle. In fact, they are not human beings to be explored; As a result, the characters that move dynamically in his story are colorful but hollow characters who, after a while, reveal their identities to the audience. Unfortunately, the same problems can say for this film in general. As a result, it is an ambitious work that has been framed by some of the most talented movie stars. But for a film that explores the enduring power of memories, it is a shame that the audience deeply forgets the memories within it.