I enjoyed it. It put so many thoughts and questions in my head. After the credits rolled and the Q&A was over, I didn't think about anything else the rest of the night. It's definitely a great movie dealing with how the Holocaust will be treated in the future as more and more survivors and witnesses die.
shareMany attendees were confused but respectful. Mark Webber's performance was very good, the DP's work first-rate, but thematically, this film seemed too scattershot, to me, and apparently to some others. Several attendees remarked that they were still "digesting" it as the house lights came up.
The opening scene leads you to imagine that there will be some connection between alienation and the yearning to appropriate someone else's memory; or a sense of emotional deadness and a need to appropriate the suffering of others. But no. Ultimately, we are left with a portrait of a solitary, traumatized young man whose bizarre descent into madness follows on the heels of his overidentification with Holocaust victims. But so what? I'm not sure anyone in the audience had a handle on what "good questions" (ethical, philosophical, sociological) this film really raises. Given a choice between this and a film it reminds me of, The Assassination of Richard Nixon, I'd rather watch the latter.
IMO, some of the supporting performances and dialogue left something to be desired. An interesting film with a promising first act, but not a great one.
I believe most people appreciated the fact that the director didn't spoonfeed them answers, most enjoyed being disturbed, all seemed attentive, but, by the film's end, some of us felt malnourished. In other words, I'm not sure the theme was as well thought out and developed as it could have been.
P.S. Most intriguing to me was the way Lukas's empathy was restricted to people, animals and situations he could control (as we discover in the hospital scene involving the patient behind the curtain.)
6/10
Dear Gina,
Hi! It’s been a while since I’ve had the pleasure to work with Stella on THE MEMORY THIEF, but it’s now getting a theatrical release and I wanted to be sure that you knew about it.
The film played in Chicago last month, and will open May 9th in NYC at the Quad Cinema and at The Red Vic in San Francisco. It later opens here in LA on May 30th at the Music Hall.
The film has been garnering great acclaim on the festival circuit, and has received accolades in the US, Poland, India, Brazil and Australia, to name a few. Stella is certainly getting worldwide exposure.
I hope you can make the opening in LA – I’d love to see you again.
On another note, I’ve recently finished a new script which is about to go into production with the two producers from the films BRICK and ABOUT SCHMIDT attached to produce.
The film is a very dark internet thriller with incredible lead roles. I know Stella’s sister, Vanessa, recently did the High School Musical films, and this would be a huge departure – but it would also attract an amazing following as it’s very edgy and timely. Several “A” list actors are currently considering the film (for the roles of Lee and Finn), but as I’ve worked with you and your daughter before, I’d like to keep it “in the family” and would love for you and Vanessa to take a look at the script and let me know what you think about the role of Veronica before I take it elsewhere.
At any event, please let me know if you’d like me to send you or Vanessa’s agent a script.
Hope to see you at the opening.
Best,
Gil Kofman
www.memorythiefmovie.com
[email protected]
310-968-0277
Please send me an email so I can send you an eflyer.