Film Review: MEMORY (2023): Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard Are Superb in Michel Franco’s Quietly Effective Drama

Memory Review

Memory (2023) Film Review, a movie written and directed by Michel Franco and starring Jessica Chastain, Peter Sarsgaard, Brooke Timber, Blake Baumgartner, Ross Brodar, Josh Charles, Dilone, Merritt Wever, Jackson Dorfmann, Davis Duffield, Elsie Fisher, Alexis Rae Forlenza, Billy Griffith, Jessica Harper, Elizabeth Loyacano, Conrad Park, Tatiana Ronderos and Jett Salazar.

In Michel Franco’s affecting new film, Memory, the main character, Sylvia (Jessica Chastain) is an ex-alcoholic who develops an interesting relationship with a man named Saul (Peter Sarsgaard) who we learn has dementia. This picture is very complex in nature but ultimately succeeds due to the quality of the acting and the earnest nature of the picture. It has two lead performances from Chastain and Sarsgaard that rise above the sometimes heavy-handed material to create characters with great depth and both of these performers create a relationship on-screen that is plausible and moving.

Sylvia is a woman in Brooklyn who works with the emotionally challenged. She has a young daughter named Anna (Brooke Timber). Sylvia goes to a high school reunion with her sister, Olivia (Merritt Wever). Saul is a man who is in attendance at the reunion and he appears to be highly unusual to Sylvia as he proceeds to follow her home from the event. Sylvia is the type of person who has several locks on her door and is hiding a secret past. Even though it begins raining, she finds Saul outside her apartment the next day. Saul’s brother, Isaac, (Josh Charles) is soon informed of Saul’s whereabouts. The reasoning behind Saul following Sylvia is unclear initially and the two characters engage in somewhat awkward conversation that develops their characters and helps shed light on the dementia that Saul is suffering from. Saul is a widower and there were physical similarities between his wife and Sylvia.

Isaac’s daughter, Sara (Elsie Fisher) gives Sylvia the opportunity to look after Saul as a nurse which is something that leads to Chastain and Sarsgaard’s characters bonding and, eventually, intimately interacting with one another. It seemed Sylvia had memories of an assault and it was possible that Saul was one of her attackers. That theory gets debunked, though, by Olivia which allows Sylvia to feel more comfortable with Saul. Of course, Saul is just the type of person to help Sylvia and Anna cope with the need for that human connection which seemed to be missing in their lives.

Jessica Harper serves as Sylvia’s mother, Samantha, with whom Sylvia argues intensively about the past and the present and Saul, in particular. Sylvia has a truly tragic past with a secret that is revealed which will shed light on why she has become the very emotionally fragile person that she is. Chastain reveals a lot of layers to her character as she becomes so distraught that she must find solace in her connection with Saul and, of course, with her daughter.

Wever’s Olivia is quite credible as a character and the actress has some difficult moments and shines in them, more than holding her own beside the very talented cast. Wever has some challenging scenes in this picture and she’s more than capable of making this role three-dimensional when, in another film, it could have simply been a plot device used to progress the plot forward. Charles’s character, Isaac, is also highly effective as a character who will ultimately stand in the way of potential happiness between Sylvia and Saul. The younger performers, Timber and Fisher, also deserve recognition for their very intriguing and believable performances in this film.

Although this story is full of tragic detours, the director doesn’t make it all doom and gloom. We can see where this story is headed with Saul’s deterioration clearly evident as the scenes progress. Sarsgaard is astonishing in his key role in the film and has received accolades for his moving work in this movie. Chastain and Sarsgaard are dramatically effective as a couple and it’s to the movie’s credit that the picture never feels like it is sensationalized to heighten the movie’s dramatics. Every moment between these two performers feels genuinely authentic.

At the heart of the movie is Chastain’s Sylvia who is so multi-faceted that one can truly relate to her almost every step of the way. This film gives her many challenges and both lead characters have disabilities which are truly representative of many similar people who live in New York City and, most likely, all around the country. Chastain is a performer who rarely falters in a role and she’s in top form in one of her best recent roles here.

If Memory has some flaws (and it does), it’s ultimately redeemed because its heart is in the right place. There’s nothing new about seeing broken characters trying to piece their lives together to find some sort of happiness in the world. There is, however, something important about a movie like Memory. It is a study of the need for human connection and proves that people all have difficulties that they must work through. Honesty and decency can help people connect in strong ways and Memory reminds us of that. My major reservation was that I felt like the main characters suffer so much throughout the movie that it often feels the film beats up the characters a little too much. When realizing the harsh realities life unfairly throws at people sometimes, the problem with Memory ultimately becomes one of its strengths. It’s a well-rendered film.

Rating: 7.5/10

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