Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Compassionate romance addresses mental illness, abuse.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Memory
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In MEMORY, Sylvia (Jessica Chastain) works at an adult day care center, is 13 years sober, and is the mother of a teen daughter, Anna (Brooke Timber). One night after a party for her old high school, a man follows Sylvia home and spends the night standing outside her apartment. She gets ahold of the man's brother, Isaac (Josh Charles), and learns that the man who followed her, Saul (Peter Sarsgaard), has dementia and has no recollection of what he was doing. Later, Sylvia confronts Saul, claiming that he was among a group of high school boys who abused her when she was 12 years old. Saul can't remember what happened, but Sylvia's sister Olivia (Merritt Wever) discovers that Saul wouldn't have been at school at the same time as Sylvia. Meanwhile, Isaac notices how Saul seems taken with Sylvia and hires her to watch over him during the day. Things take a turn when Saul and Sylvia find their bond growing stronger.
Is It Any Good?
It may feel like an unlikely story, but Michel Franco's elegant, clear-eyed direction and fine performances all around make this romantic drama a surprisingly absorbing experience. A movie about abuse, alcoholism, and dementia might seem like a chore. It certainly wouldn't promise warmth and hope, but that's exactly what happens in Memory: Two broken people find each other at exactly the right time. Writer/director Franco's wide, largely unmoving, and delicately composed frames somehow zero in on character emotions, even when the performers are underplaying (which they are most of the time). Like the filmmaker's previous film, Sundown, this one deals with a character existing outside of time, on his own terms, which allows for a much slower, more curious approach to the storytelling. It generates compassion, too, and ultimately Memory is a beautiful little movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Memory's depiction of sex and nudity. What values are suggested? What is the movie's attitude toward nudity?
How does the movie address drinking and alcoholism? Are consequences shown? Why does that matter?
How does the movie address rape and sexual and domestic abuse? Why is it so difficult for some of the other characters to talk about or believe?
How are developmentally disabled people and people with mental illness depicted? Did you notice any stereotypes?
Do you consider Sylvia a role model? Why, or why not? What are her admirable traits? What are her faults? How does she demonstrate compassion?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 22, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : February 20, 2024
- Cast : Jessica Chastain , Peter Sarsgaard , Brooke Timber
- Director : Michel Franco
- Inclusion Information : Latino Movie Director(s) , Mexican Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Ketchup Entertainment
- Genre : Romance
- Character Strengths : Compassion
- Run time : 100 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some sexual content, language and graphic nudity
- Last updated : February 20, 2025
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