Synopsis:
Nick Bannister (Jackman), a private investigator of the mind, navigates the darkly alluring world of the past by helping his clients access lost memories. Living on the fringes of the sunken Miami coast, his life is forever changed when he takes on a new client, Mae (Ferguson). A simple matter of lost and found becomes a dangerous obsession. As Bannister fights to find the truth about Mae’s disappearance, he uncovers a violent conspiracy, and must ultimately answer the question: how far would you go to hold on to the ones you love?
It’s true what they say, looks can be deceiving. However, so can everything else about a person. You’ll never know exactly what someone is thinking, you’ll never know their true intentions are, nor can you always predict their actions. It’s terrifying to put your trust in someone only for them to turn around and betray you later on. It not only hurts but makes you hesitant and extremely cautious with how you handle future relationships. Nevertheless, letting people dictate the way you move through life is no life at all. Therefore, all we can do is watch for signs, trust our gut, and hope for the best.
“No such thing as a happy ending.”
If the present isn’t a present, you always have the past in Lisa Joy’s feature directorial debut, Reminiscence. This sci-fi mystery noir is as bleak as it is imaginative. This film grabs your attention right from the beginning as we see a familiar world that has gone through some dire changes. Accompanied by narration by Hugh Jackson’s character Nick Bannister, the setting seems like a subtle hint as to the direction writer/director Lisa Joy sees the world going in, while Bannister’s philosophical soliloquy sets the desolate tone of the film. Feeling somewhat like an extended episode of Black Mirror, the story fiddles with a future that is, unfortunately, very plausible and heartbreak that is universal. From hopeless to hopeful and back again, this story juggles your emotions going from a tale of new love to a crime drama that keeps you guessing. While not quite as mind-bending as I had hoped, it has its moments as the story keeps you on the edge of your seat. What the film does a great job of doing is immersing you in the plight of the characters and the people of the city and the disdain for the rich and powerful. It feels almost like a precursor to a Gotham-like city.
I found the film rather thought-provoking as there is plenty of depth to the story relating to our pasts, our present, mortality, and the minds of society as a whole. There are themes of addiction, greed, and corruption as well as deception, deception and addiction perhaps being the most prevalent. There is enough action to feed your need, a great cast, but most importantly, some originality. There is some really great cinematography work and a score that follows the tone of the writing perfectly. While the film may be just a tad too long, I’m excited to see what Joy comes up with next. I enjoyed the film. Its rewatchability is medium.
Photo Credit: Ben Rothstein
Pacing & Pop
The meticulous pacing is perfect for the type of film. Filled with mystery and romance, the pacing is well thought out while the story is rather thrilling. What popped for me was the nostalgia concept of the story. Reliving the past because the present is so terrible is deeply saddening.
Characters & Chemistry
This is a great cast. The standout for me is Rebecca Ferguson as Mae. You’re unsure of her actions, of her fate, and the alluring and sensual chemistry she has with Hugh Jackman’s Nick makes the story as interesting as it is. Jackman plays a man obsessed and does it very well. It’s done in a more realistic way than you may think. He’s not John Wick but has the same type of devotion and intensity in finding out what is going on. Thandiwe Newton as Watts represents a multitude of different things but she is our direct representation of the rest of the people in the city. She’s given up hope, amongst other things, and clings to a vice just to get her through each day.
Reminiscence is now in theaters as of August 20, 2021, and will be available on HBO Max in UHD, HDR10, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos on supported devices for 31 days from the theatrical release. Stay safe and enjoy.
Director: Lisa Joy
Writer: Lisa Joy
Producers: Lisa Joy, Jonathan Nolan, Michael De Luca, and Aaron Ryder
Executive Producers: Athena Wickham, Elishia Holmes, and Scott Lumpkin
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 1h 55m
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Senior Critic. Observing the human race since 1988.
