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Movie Review: Reminiscence

Mike Tyrkus

Although the new sci-fi thriller Reminiscence strives to explore the essence of humanity by echoing a myriad of far superior science fiction and detective films, it ultimately flails about never finding its proper footing despite a decent concept and moody performance from Hugh Jackman.

Jackman stars as Nick Bannister, a retired detective who now make a living helping people channel their lost memories. Along with his former partner Watts (Thandie Newton), Nick manages to keep his business afloat, but just barely, that is until a new client walks in and upends his life. This femme fatale, named Mae (Rebecca Ferguson), disappears from Nick’s life as quickly as she appears and his obsession to find her leads him, in true noir fashion, to discover a conspiracy that runs deeper than anything he ever imagined it could.

Rebecca Ferguson and Hugh Jackman in “Reminiscence.”

While it is ultimately a love story, it proves increasing difficult to remember, or care about that, as the events of Reminiscence unfold. This is a film that wants to succeed in practically every genre imaginable and becomes so convoluted with trying to keep that particular ball in the air that it ultimately collapses in on itself, making it all just a frustratingly moody missed opportunity.

Nothing feels fresh about any aspect of this film. It all seems like there must have been a more effective rendition of this somewhere else in some other form. Other science fiction films have done a far better job of straddling the line between film noir and their own genre, but Reminiscence plays more like, well a remembrance of a better film where this was achieved with more grace and style than is brought out here.

There may be some aspects of Reminiscence that prove entertaining or pleasing to an audience, but that is undoubtedly doomed to be an empty feeling once the hollowness of the film becomes apparent and is repeatedly driven home by bringing to mind the other, far superior films you could be watching instead.

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Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com
An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

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