Memoria

Elevation Pictures | Release Date: December 26, 2021

6.1	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 36 Ratings

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ChalupacabraMay 26, 2022

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. One could take a still photo of Tilda Swinton looking befuddled, tape it to one's window and stare at it for two hours and ten minutes, intermittently dropping a heavy object on a hard surface, and the experience would be roughly equal, yet somehow far less tedious than seeing this film.

Calling this a movie would be inaccurate, as that would require some movement. It's an unbearable screensaver of a film with no plot to speak of. I guess they wanted to label it as sci-fi for some reason, so they throw in a random spaceship that has literally nothing to do with anything in the film. It's not sci-fi though, if I had to put a genre to it, I guess I'd go with "assorted stock footage". It's literally a collage of random lingering shots with a couple of actors thrown in so that you can call it cinema and sell tickets.

There is nothing offensive or provoking or even interesting about this film, yet somehow it made me deeply, deeply angry. I guess if you think movies are just supposed to make you feel things, this can be considered a success. A great success, one might say.

If you're one of those people that enjoy being bored to tears, have I got a doozie for you.

Tilda, if you're reading this, I want my money back.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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ryan_chenDec 31, 2021

Went to see Memoria because of its raving reviews from critics but really couldn't get how in the world did it get such high score here. Amazing acting from Tilda but the whole movie is extremely slow, boring and pretentious, no idea whatWent to see Memoria because of its raving reviews from critics but really couldn't get how in the world did it get such high score here. Amazing acting from Tilda but the whole movie is extremely slow, boring and pretentious, no idea what director is trying to convey here. Maybe it's too artsy for us to understand.… Expand

6 of 8 users found this helpful62

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JLuis_001Jan 30, 2022

This is a beautiful and hypnotic cinematic work made to captivate only a few.
I can't wrap my head around the idea of those who might think otherwise.
Call it pretentious of course, you have grounds for it, but this film is an experienceThis is a beautiful and hypnotic cinematic work made to captivate only a few.
I can't wrap my head around the idea of those who might think otherwise.

Call it pretentious of course, you have grounds for it, but this film is an experience that will only find meaning for those who are willing to enjoy it.… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

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markymarkJan 17, 2022

Be warned, around 40-50 minutes of the running time is dedicated to characters standing, sleeping, or sitting, or staring at nothing, or else characters watching other characters standing, sleeping, or sitting, or staring at nothing. TheBe warned, around 40-50 minutes of the running time is dedicated to characters standing, sleeping, or sitting, or staring at nothing, or else characters watching other characters standing, sleeping, or sitting, or staring at nothing. The effect is so peaceful that to avoid sleeping myself during a particularly sedentary 10 minute scene where nothing happens but a character sleeps, including a minute or two of the camera filming just his feet as he sleeps, I found myself laughing. Thank God I wasn't in a cinema... Yet, somehow, it is definitely worthwhile, and I am happy I persisted. I doubt Michael Bay would have been a good choice to direct this film.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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bertobellamyFeb 27, 2022

Just like in 'Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives' and 'Cemetery of Splendour,' Apichatpong Weerasethakul presents another dreamy tale about being in deep contact with us, others, and nature.

The Thai director — for the first timeJust like in 'Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives' and 'Cemetery of Splendour,' Apichatpong Weerasethakul presents another dreamy tale about being in deep contact with us, others, and nature.

The Thai director — for the first time filming out of his country — delivers an enigmatic and very powerful story in which sound is the main protagonist. The film may be incomprehensible, but you just have to let yourself go.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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JagdtigerSimpApr 30, 2022

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Despite raving reviews from critics, Memoria offers very little substance to anyone wanting something to actually happen in a film they watch. With a run time of over 2 hours, letting you feel every minute of it by watching shots that drag, and drag, and drag, and drag. Much of the movie's runtime is devoted to unbroken shots of nature displaying underwhelming various "events" for several minutes at a time, at least twice the length necessary and many shots persist for much longer.

During the latter part of the film, a shot is shown of Hernan (Diaz) the second lying on the ground after Jessica (Swinton) asks him to demonstrate what he sleeps like without dreams.

The audience is then treated to a completely unbroken shot of watching Hernan lie on his back with his eyes open for several minutes. This trend of shots of mundane activity or dialogue takes up at least a full hour of the movie, leaving the audience many opportunities to use the washroom without fear of missing crucial exposition.

There is a sole interesting segment in the film, with the first Hernan (Urrego) as a sound engineer, after this segment anyone that wants to be spared from the struggle to stay awake as absolutely nothing remotely interesting happens for the majority of the remainder of this film. This shoutout to sound engineers and the genuinely interesting way that Hernan is able to recreate the sound Jessica hears is the single highest point in the film.
Despite the excellent segment on the in-movie sound engineer, due to the movie's obsession with prolonged shots with no audio, it extremely amplifies the missteps by the foley department. During one session of staring at nature in the background, it clearly sounds as if the rain machine (or likely mp3) is suddenly turned on then abruptly turned off.

The conclusion of the movie feels rushed and offers little explanation to any of the reasoning behind why an average movie enjoyer would have sat through more than 2 hours of actionless footage only to be treated to a lackluster ending. While other pretentious movie goes will say the film has "vision" or is "profound", anyone who has seen a movie with good pacing will find this movie a painful montage of shots of trees in a light breeze or watching Swinton sitting/standing for exorbitant periods of time.

I will not exaggerate that the same experience can be easily replicated by looking out of a window for 2 hours with noise canceling headphones. This movie would be best marketed as a sleep treatment for insomniacs as long as they keep their snoring to a minimum lest they disturb other sleeping patrons.

In conclusion, an excruciatingly tedious film that deserves a rating of no more than Zzzz.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

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jazzyfizzleDec 30, 2021

Memoria is one of those films, where you'll find yourself asking questions and discussing the meanings with your friends weeks after viewing. The pacing slowly rumbles, and sometimes abruptly rumbles you out of your seat, then finally boilsMemoria is one of those films, where you'll find yourself asking questions and discussing the meanings with your friends weeks after viewing. The pacing slowly rumbles, and sometimes abruptly rumbles you out of your seat, then finally boils over in its third act. Enjoy the ride.… Expand

3 of 5 users found this helpful32

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moviemitch96May 14, 2022

A very odd yet meditative film in every sense of the word. Tilda Swinton stars as a Scottish woman visiting her ill sister in Columbia where she is awakened one night by strange banging noises that only she can hear. From there, she travelsA very odd yet meditative film in every sense of the word. Tilda Swinton stars as a Scottish woman visiting her ill sister in Columbia where she is awakened one night by strange banging noises that only she can hear. From there, she travels and traverses the vast greens and jungles of Columbia in search for answers and discovers some mysterious connections along the way. First off, this is a film that requires an incredible amount of patience. Several scenes are very sedentary and dedicated to showing very minimal activity or even dialogue from the characters involved. In addition to being rather narratively vague,the film is also bound to mystify some but simply confuse others. The biggest draw/highlight for many will likely be Swinton's mesmerizing performance. And while the film is rather unique as a whole, we're left with more questions than answers by the film's end, which proved a little disappointing to me. But overall, besides an always reliable Swinton, it's a film that is incredibly peaceful, thought-provoking, but also frustrating in equal measure thanks largely in part to its cryptic narrative and lack of answers.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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Brent_MarchantJun 19, 2022

It reaches...and reaches...and reaches...yet its grasp never attains fulfillment, leaving viewers feel as though they're been toyed with for more than two hours for a payoff that's only modestly satisfying at best. Director ApichatpongIt reaches...and reaches...and reaches...yet its grasp never attains fulfillment, leaving viewers feel as though they're been toyed with for more than two hours for a payoff that's only modestly satisfying at best. Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul's latest has its moments of visual and audio appeal, but its protracted, heavily padded, thin and meandering narrative and half-baked character development is a frustrating follow for even the most patient of viewers. Its exceedingly tiresome still shots (of which there are many) alone push audiences to plead for getting on with it already. Those well-versed in the paranormal and metaphysical will find this an especially tedious watch, given that what the filmmaker is going for is apparent quite early on, yet the picture leaves its spectators haplessly bound to sit through the flotsam that leads to a conclusion with few surprises and little satisfaction. "Memoria" has somehow found a fan base among the art house crowd, but, to be blunt, lofty pretention does not translate to profound insight, and that's an overinflated balloon desperately in need if being popped. And none of this takes into account the peculiar distribution plan that has accompanied this picture's release, one that has made it extremely difficult to screen this one in the first place (though, given the result, maybe that's a good thing). Indeed, how this one managed to walk away with awards like the Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize and the Chicago Film Festival's Gold Hugo for Best Feature is truly beyond me.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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