REMINISCENCE – “An ambitious genre hodgepodge with mostly interesting results”
RATING
DIRECTOR
Lisa Joy
STARRING
- Hugh Jackman as Nick Bannister
- Rebecca Ferguson as Mae
- Thandiwe Newton as Watts
- Marina de Tavira as Swati
- Daniel Wu as Saint Joe
- Mojean Aria as Sebastian
- Brett Cullen as Walter Sylvan
SYNOPSIS
Nick Bannister, a private investigator of the mind, navigates the alluring world of the past when his life is changed by new client Mae. A simple case becomes an obsession after she disappears, and he fights to learn the truth about her.
REVIEW SUMMARY
An ambitious genre hodgepodge with mostly interesting results, Lisa Joy’s Reminiscence will likely split audiences right down the middle. On the one hand, there are some seriously fun sci-fi elements being played with, all the while wrapped in a slickly produced neo-noir setting. Unfortunately, the main mystery at hand is a sloppy one. There’s just very little to connect with as we are thrust down an often-times convoluted rabbit hole of revelations, each one more preposterous than the last. It’s never a good sign when they start “spoon-feeding” plot developments to the audience with awkward character dialogue (“She wanted me to find her”). Luckily, the ideas around nostalgia and time are constantly intriguing. I mean, the film isn’t very subtle in delivering those themes, but that’s ok. Helping matters quite a bit is Hugh Jackman in the lead. The Australian actor is in top form here, making each on-screen moment count. And from being a lovestruck Lothario to desperate avenger, he certainly has a lot to do. The rest of the cast rounds out nicely also, with Rebecca Ferguson especially holding her own opposite Jackman and co. But, in the end, this simply becomes a case of the filmmakers trying to do way too much. And with that, they only succeed a little over halfway.
BOX OFFICE TOP 5
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