Film Review: MEMORY (2022): Liam Neeson Plays a Bad Assassin with a Good Side in Intriguing Action Picture

Memory Review

Memory (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by Martin Campbell, written by Dario Scardapane, Jef Geeraerts and Carl Joos and starring Liam Neeson, Monica Bellucci, Guy Pearce, Ray Stevenson, Taj Atwal, Stella Stocker, Louis Mandylor, Ray Fearon, Antonio Jaramillo, Lee Boardman, Natalie Anderson, Rebecca Calder, Harold Torres, Sigal Diamant, Kate Nichols, Atanas Srebrev, Scot Williams and Doug Rao.

Liam Neeson may have seen better days as an action hero but that doesn’t mean his work in the new film, Memory, is not to be “taken” seriously. Ever since his Taken box-office smash hit movies, Neeson has made himself known as primarily an action movie star. As I am writing this review, I can’t name any of his latest films, but I won’t soon forget Memory.

Neeson takes his role as hitman Alex Lewis and creates an intriguing character who isn’t really good but isn’t really bad either. Neeson is cast opposite Guy Pearce and Monica Bellucci here and the film has a couple of tricks up its sleeve which I didn’t see coming and that made me compelled enough to watch the picture and pay close attention to the plot. You don’t have to pay close attention to enjoy it, though, because it’s not so complex in terms of its story line. I just wanted to enjoy Neeson back in decent form and that I did despite the film’s flaws.

This new picture (which is set mostly in Texas) opens with a couple of major plot developments. We follow a man (Guy Pearce) setting up an appointment with a 13-year-old prostitute Beatriz (played by Mia Sanchez). When the guy sees the girl drawing something, he asks her what it is, but she won’t answer him. He wants to “talk” to her but soon she realizes he’s an authority figure and a fight ensues with her father that leaves her dad dead. Pearce, it turns out, is playing FBI agent Vincent Serra who is trying to crack an underage prostitution case.

Alex Lewis (Neeson) is the hitman who is assigned by his employer to kill Beatriz to prevent her from offering information that could be threatening to the bad guys in the film. When Alex finds out his mark is a young, innocent girl, his conscience gets the best of him, and he threatens one of his bosses that if he doesn’t leave her alone, well…you know Neeson. This man mean business.

I’d hate to give away too much of what happens but let’s just say Neeson is soon out for vengeance. Monica Bellucci plays a rich woman named Davana Sealman who has powerful ties that make her a very dangerous villain. Meanwhile, Alex is losing his memory and has to write important things on his arm in order to remember them. He also takes medication for his ailments.

One of the best scenes in the movie takes place in a parking garage after Neeson’s Alex hooks up with a woman whose life soon becomes in jeopardy as Alex realizes he’s in way over his head with the wrong people. A confrontation ensues with a bad guy that makes for quite an exciting scene where Neeson does his thing.

As the plot thickens, Alex is brought closer to FBI agent Serra who is soon pursuing Alex as he makes his way to a boat party to knock off Davana’s wickedly bothersome son. Taj Atwal all but steals the film as Linda Amistead who teams up with Serra occasionally. Atwal gets some of the best lines of comic relief in the movie and she delivers them perfectly. I love a scene late in the film where Linda takes Serra to a bar for reasons that I won’t let you know in this particular review.

There is also a late, great sequence set in a hospital where a hospital bed-ridden Alex finds his life at risk as a member of Davana’s team (which consists of legal professionals as well as typical everyday goons) is sent to take Alex out before he testifies against the evil Davana. This part of the movie is a definite showstopper.

Neeson creates a sympathetic hero who has been a vicious killer previously but, partly because of his memory loss, he has decided to take justice into his own hands for the greater good. Neeson will have you rooting in his corner as we wonder which way Alex will turn next. Guy Pearce holds his own beside Neeson and creates a plausible movie protagonist as well. Watch out for Harold Torres’ Hugo Marquez, a character who will eventually play a major role in the film’s climax. Bellucci’s turn here starts out weak, but her performance grows more intense as the film progresses and she ultimately acquits herself admirably in her role.

Memory has plenty of flaws that hold it back from being anything other than a decent action film. It’s too long by about fifteen minutes, it is never wholly believable, and it has one too many plot twists thrown in willy-nilly at the end. When the plot brings in the fact that almost everybody on the good side of the law has less than noble intentions, it gets really interesting, but the film bites off more than it can chew in terms of heavy subject matter.

Nevertheless, Neeson and Pearce carry the film through to its conclusion. Director Martin Campbell (2006’s Casino Royale) stages his action scenes with nice doses of nail-biting suspense. Campbell being chosen for this project was a no-brainer given his experience with these types of pictures. There are plenty of tricks that the plot lets out of the bag that will leave the audience wanting more. I only wished that a key plot development didn’t occur with Neeson’s character towards the end but, overall, Memory is surprisingly a rather worthwhile effort.

Rating: 6.5/10

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