- Starring
- Tilda Swinton, Elkin Díaz, Jeanne Balibar
- Writer
- Apichatpong Weerasethakul
- Director
- Apichatpong Weerasethakul
- Rating
- n/a
- Running Time
- 136 minutes
- Release Date
- n/a
Overall Score
Rating Summary
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No individual has done more for Thailand’s film industry than experimental filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Referred to by his fans simply as “Joe”, he has become one of the defining voices in the slow-cinema movement. He attained international recognition, when his film Uncle Boomnee Who Can Recall His Past Lives unexpectedly took home the Palme D’or in 2010. Despite his success outside of his home country, Weerasethakul continued to solely make films in Thailand in his native language. His latest film, Memoria, sees him venturing into uncharted territory in many respects. A Columbian production, this marks his first film primarily in the English language (the film also features some Spanish dialogue).
Despite the fact that Weerasethakul is stepping outside of his comfort zone, Memoria stylistically falls in line neatly with his previous work. It is a slow-cinema piece that explores the concept of mortality and our relationship to the past. The film stars Tilda Swinton as a Scottish woman named Jessica, who recently moved to Columbia. She begins to hear a loud, disruptive noise that no one around her is able to hear. In the process of searching for the source of the sound, she embarks on a spiritual journey that connects her to the past, present and future of Columbia.
In typical Weerasethakul fashion, Memoria poses questions without answering them. It’s an abstract film that requires patience and gives the audience room to form their own interpretation. It’s clear that he felt a connection to the country of Columbia, as he explores its history and attempts to comment on colonialism within the nation. While it is an admirable effort in some respects, it’s also a very frustrating watch that is sure to isolate most audiences, including some Weerasethakul fans. The film’s biggest issue is far too vague and lacking in structure to say anything particularly meaningful about the subjects it is exploring.
In the end, the biggest strength of Memoria is its inventive use of sound design, but that’s not enough to carry this film. Instead of tying the themes together, it’s ridiculous finale further isolates audiences and makes it one of Weerasethakul’s weakest films to date.
still courtesy of Elevation Pictures
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