by Aaron Schweitzer, Editor
Welcome to Another Person’s Treasure. In this series, we discuss films that aren’t considered great by critics or audience scores, but are considered great by the author. I think this film deserves a second glance, so let’s get into why.
Reminiscence holds a 5.8 on IMDb, a 36% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, 37% audience score, 46 on Metacritic, and holds a 2.5 average on Letterboxd. I remember when the trailer for this film came out and it quickly became one of my most anticipated films of 2021. There was this mystery about it, but the thing I was more focused on was where they would go with the concept of memory. Written and directed by Lisa Joy, one of the creators of HBO’s Westworld, I thought Reminiscence held so much promise. But by the way the trailer was cut, I was worried it was going to feel like an Inception knockoff. For better or worse, the marketing for this film was atrocious, and what we got was something completely different.
The film came out to middling scores and I wanted it to be better, but just couldn’t love it. It has grown on me, however, and I think it is because I understand what the movie actually is, rather than what I wanted it to be. Funny, I seem to be wrestling with this concept a ton ever since The Last Jedi. I’ve come to realize that fan expectations can kill a film more than anything, and I was primed to hate this movie, but I just couldn’t.
One of the best things about it is the acting. Specifically, Hugh Jackman is giving a great performance as a washed-up, obsessed war veteran. There is no indication that he wrestles with alcohol or drugs, but this woman (Rebecca Ferguson) and what happened to her are his torture. Ferguson plays this mysterious, incredibly sexy woman, who becomes more complex with each passing scene, and she is also great. The last notable actor is Thandiwe Newton, who plays Jackman’s assistant who is also tortured, but in a “I’m in a bad place. Don’t follow me here” kind of way.
Just as impressive as the performances are the visuals. Reminiscence is one of my favorite visual films of the last several years. The cinematography is gorgeous and the set design, taking place in a New Orleans and Miami that are below sea level (similar to Venice), it so appealing. The film is ultimately a neo-noir and lends to its aesthetic: lots of people in suits and dresses, a grimy city just outside, and a dark color palate with neon accents.
I mentioned the marketing for this movie really killed it, with less support the closer it got to release date. On first watch, the performances and visuals were enough for me to say I enjoyed it and even recommend it, but not strongly. I had expected a philosophical search through memory of a man trying to find his missing love; kind of like if Gone Girl were a futuristic science-fiction film. And while I am still very interested in that as a film, I am more than happy with what that was delivered. Sure, it could have gotten deeper in its message about memory, but there is plenty there, and it’s much more noticeable on a second viewing. Reminiscence isn’t trying to cause you to completely rethink the concept of memory — it is using it as an avenue to tell a really interesting story.
I haven’t mentioned the story a lot and that is intentional. Since it’s a neo-noir, all of it revolves around this mystery. Like any good mystery, it is best to experience the whole thing for yourself. There are a lot of twists here, so it may feel a little jarring or too complex, which was a criticism I had about the film the first time, but on a rewatch, I was able to follow the story, enjoy where it went, and appreciate how it got there. When I allowed it to be the driving force of the film, it changed my experience drastically.
I don’t think Reminiscence is a perfect film, but I do think it’s solid and not worthy of the reputation that its scores show. There is plenty to like here, and it is absolutely worth a watch for the technical aspects alone. It would be easy to overlook this film or write it off as disappointing. It may still be disappointing, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. So if the reviews kept you away, please go back and check this one out!
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