Remember: Film Review

Remember: Film Review

Cast: Christopher Plummer, Martin Landau, Dean Norris
Director: Atom Egoyan

The past weighs heavy in this drama about former Auschwitz survivor Zev Guttman (wonderfully portrayed by Christopher Plummer), who's sent to find the blockfuhrer who murdered his family.

The problem is that time is against Zev, as he's suffering from dementia. Armed with a letter and help from a fellow Auschwitz survivor and nursing home inhabitant, he sets out across America to track down the man responsible for such misery - one Rudy Kurlander.

Remember is a film that packs an emotional sucker punch in its midst, but a film that's anchored by Plummer's frail and relatable turn as Zev, the survivor.

With his usual gravitas and dignity, the frustration he feels at his body giving out and his dementia taking hold is masterfully played and sensitively handled by Canadian director Egoyan.

The central piece of the film, a thrilling confrontation between Dean Norris's cop and Plummer's frail Zev crackles with electricity and underlying tension. To say more is to spoil the reveal, and reveals are certainly something Egoyan piles on carefully in this film. It almost threatens to topple everything over at one point, but because of the careful way the crafting is done, the ultimate result is one of tragedy and pathos.

Mostly though, Remember succeeds because of Plummer; his gradual piecing together of what's going on as this road trip of mistaken identity continues is nothing short of something that draws you in. From his frailties to his moments of strength, Plummer's Zev is the guide to lead you on this journey - and it's all the more enticing because of his partnership with Egoyan.