DISCLAIMER: This review of Memory contains minor spoilers.
What happens when a chance encounter cracks your world wide open, allowing your dark past to seep through? Filmmaker Michel Franco explores this and much more in Memory, a painfully resonant drama about two lost souls whose trauma and grief irrevocably bind them.
About Memory
Here’s a synopsis per Relativity Media:
“Sylvia is a social worker who leads a simple and structured life. This is blown open when Saul follows her home from their high school reunion. Their surprise encounter will profoundly impact both of them as they open the door to the past.”
Memory stars Jessica Chastain, Peter Sarsgaard, Merritt Wever, Brooke Timber, Elsie Fisher, Josh Charles and Jessica Harper.
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Character-Driven
Memory is, first and foremost, a character-driven film. Don’t expect much narrative action. Franco puts Sylvia and Saul under a microscope, effectively dissecting and pulling them apart limb by limb. His script is raw and all too real, as are Chastain and Sarsgaard’s unflinching performances. Their work is utterly electrifying. Sylvia and Saul’s magnetism is a testament to the actors’ shared chemistry. They fully embody their characters.
As for the narrative, it’s a quiet, subdued piece, but when the dramatic moments strike, it doesn’t pull its punches. Those climactic beats are brutal and blistering. One scene, in particular, might be triggering to trauma/abuse victims. For me, it specifically resonated because, like Sylvia, I, too, have an abusive mom. Franco’s script, coupled with performances from Chastain and Harper that hit like a hurricane, deliver so much aching realism in this scene. It’s explosive and gut-wrenching.
The cinematography feels intimate and, at times, almost intrusive. It’s as if we’re watching these characters from afar. Saul’s entrance feels horror movie-esque as we see him, out of focus, watching Sylvia during their high school reunion. There’s no shortage of tension in Franco’s story. Additionally, his tight direction offers that same sense of intimacy. Similarly, the staging expertly conveys the loneliness that accompanies mental health struggles.
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Unexpected
The plot takes unexpected turns. The simple premise is not what it seems on paper, and that’s a good thing. It goes much deeper, exploring relevant themes and asking thought-provoking questions. Can trauma and disease fundamentally change us? Who are we? Are we merely a collection of memories? What happens when we start to forget who we are? Why can’t we be open about mental health/trauma/grief/abuse with our kids? That last one is especially driven home in Franco’s script.
Memory tackles mental health, trauma bonding, sexual assault, abuse, grief, addiction, victim blaming, dementia and more with humanity and grace. Chastain goes all in on her portrayal of Sylvia, who struggles with most of the above. Memory deftly explores her triggers. Sylvia’s behavior as a trauma survivor is immensely accurate (speaking from experience). Trauma survivors seldom feel safe. When Sylvia’s occasional sense of safety is jeopardized, she locks all the doors, exhibits overprotectiveness with her daughter and closes herself off from her loved ones. Chastain delivers a career-best performance.
Sarsgaard is fearless in his depiction of Saul’s trauma and delicate condition. His versatility as a performer is on display here. He injects Saul with pathos, volatility, quiet humor and searing vulnerability. He keeps up with Chastain, giving and receiving in equal measure. Neither overpowers the other in their scenes. They coexist, with Sarsgaard offering support when Chastain needs it and vice versa. They’re in sync with each other in a beautiful symbiosis.
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A Complicated Relationship
The film also questions autonomy regarding dementia as Sylvia and Saul’s bond takes on many complex colors and layers. It’s potentially problematic at face value, but each deserves love and companionship in this cruel world. Without giving away too much, Memory doesn’t quite offer definitive answers. It’s more like Franco wants you to come to your own conclusions.
What’s beautiful about this film is its lack of wall-to-wall exposition. Franco is very much “show” rather than “tell,” even regarding these big, bold questions it raises. Perhaps my one gripe is the ending — like many films today, Memory just sort of … ends.
The story is bittersweet and painfully honest. Even Sylvia and Saul’s happier moments feel tinged with melancholy. The accuracy and care that went into methodically constructing Sylvia and Saul’s worlds are as appreciated as they are awe-inspiring.
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Overall, Memory is a weighty, heavy watch, but it’s a worthy one. Franco’s fully human script is bolstered by excellent character-driven work from Chastain and Sarsgaard in particular. Their chemistry truly sings. They carry a narrative that’s equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful. It’s a meditation on trauma, healing and how we often gravitate toward what we need.
As for Sylvia and Saul, they navigate this withering, cold world as two hurting souls who inevitably find comfort in one another. There’s beauty in that.
Memory is in theaters in Los Angeles and New York, with a nationwide release slated for January 5, 2024.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
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