Like many, I had high expectations for this film being a fan of Westworld and there were some very good parts and some not-so-good parts. Its lackluster attempt to be a really big blockbuster will leave you feeling disappointed for just about everyone who tried to work around the story of a man who is hopelessly infatuated by a cabaret lounge singer and tries to find the truth about her.
The overall plot of Reminiscence was on the right track but ended up getting filled with too many subplot lines that proved very confusing. When you have a concept like this, it’s too important to build at least the characters, if not the plot. The worldbuilding and characters in this film come and go like Game of Thrones congested into two and a half hours which is impossible. It’s a problem when you need to use the remote to rewind things and figure out the things happening. People who watch the film in the theatre do not have that luxury!
The filmmakers take an interesting setup but throw it away for a generic failed romance about one man’s quest to unravel the truth. Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Ferguson are doing the best with what they are given. Between cringy narration and some bad overacting, the script is the cause of this film’s failure. The action sequences feel tired and lacking in execution as well as in thrills. For a thriller, you will never be on the edge of your seat or mildly shocked when the twist comes. The climax twist is forced because there is no build-up for it. The setting and memory reliving is interesting but never utilized well to make a thoughtful and engaging narrative.
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In fact, the best part was that concept of using the memory tank to investigate crimes. Technically they should have only been from a first-person perspective but they couldn’t have told the story if they’d stuck to that rule. The reveal at the end when Mae uses Booth’s memory to communicate where she hid Freddie before she professes her love for Nick and kills herself would have been perfect if they hadn’t over-complicated the story. But over-complicated is a small word for this film. Overall, it’s a film that would’ve been better off being a TV show than a feature film. There is no other simple way to put it.
K- Score: 46%
STW: 12/30, D: 5/25, C: 6/8, E: 1/5, PVD: 10/12, A: 6/10, S: 6/10
