The Memory of a Killer (2005)

Everything works in this movie. The script is well written, the actors do a fine job and are believable, and the pace never slows. There is a very plausible storyline about a hired killer given an assignment that he does not want to do since he knows he is losing his memory, therefore, does not know if he can pull it off. Second, he's tired of doing this job, but is reminded by another in the profession that what they do there is no retirement (other than death). So he takes the job. The 1st contract he has no qualms about, but the second he does, as it involves killing a child, and this is something he refuses to do as this goes against his value system. In the course of completing the first assignment he comes across a conspiracy to cover up what he considers a total disregard to humanity which is the killing of a child, regardless of the situation that warrants the contract to do so. The movie then centers on 2 law enforcement agencies, at odds with one another (nothing new here, in the movies and in real life), a cover-up that actually includes the government (again nothing new here), and finally a little twist on what would otherwise be your general suspense thriller. Is the bad guy such a bad guy if who he kills are also killers, and especially killers of a child? Shades of Dexter (books and TV show). This is what separates this movie from a lot of others just like it: The moral dilemma of an assassin. There's also a running joke (there are some funny moments in this movie, as in real life in the world of law enforcement) that has to do with BMW cars. Lots of twists and it all does not come together in your usual format.

Being Dutch I was very grateful having seen this movie with Dutch subtitles, as I find it very hard to follow Flemish. And I would have hated to watch the movie dubbed with voices speaking standardized Dutch. That is one of the most ridiculous things I can think of! In my opinion De Zaak Alzheimer (I also have read the excellent book) surpasses every single other Belgian or Dutch movie, with the possible exceptions of Paul Verhoeven's excellent De Vierde Man and Bert Haanstra's Fanfare. Superb storytelling, great acting, especially by the seasoned Jan Decleir. This one is a treat for those who love policestories but do not need fastspeed action scenes. Like the famous French policiers De Zaak Alzheimer has a far more realistic feel than the average Hollywood police movie. The opening scene of De Zaak Alzheimer is one of the most disgusting I have ever seen. And no, no gore involved.

Angelo Ledda, an aging hit man, is assigned the task of killing a twelve-year-old girl and finally balks, putting the gang and its aristocrat capo on his trail, as well as Antwerp's finest detectives. Ledda is developing Alzheimer's and this complicates matters, but in the end he gets his just desserts and deliberately leaves behind evidence that leads the police to the Baron who heads the criminals.This is a set up for a Hollywood remake. Hollywood seems to have completely run out of ideas of its own and is now stumbling along on fumes and copies -- "The Departed," "Insomnia," and who knows what all else.It taps into many veins of American interest. Plenty of violence. A nice role for an aging (but not elderly) star on the order of Dustin Hoffman or Jack Nicholson. Lots of opportunities for razzle-dazzle directorial exploits -- negative flashbacks, fast cutting -- because of the onset of an unsettling neurological disease. And then there's Alzheimer's itself, the bugaboo of every aging yuppie who has forgotten an old phone number of the name of an old love.This film isn't especially ambitious. It's a crime thriller and does not beg for sympathy. The hit man has a face that seems to have been modeled out of play-do by a five year old. It does what it sets out to do, and it does it with style and dash. There's a particularly ominous moment when Ledda is sitting in a car holding two honest detectives hostage. The car is surrounded by Antwerp police armed with rifles and laser beams. The dark interior of the BMW seems to be filled with little pink dots that drift across the faces of the guilty and the innocent alike. That scene is a sure target for imitation in the remake.

This was a decent, but formulaic movie based in part on real-life events. The plot was full of twists and turns, but it didn't take any viewer effort to figure anything out. The character presentations were one-dimensional and all decisions about their likability was also taken out of the hands of the viewer. The sound track was a little heavy and distracting at the beginning of the film, but fit the mood better by the end. The ending was satisfying and there was some social relevance (again with no shade of grey for the viewer to interpret) thrown in to enhance the experience. To sum up--a good, well-acted movie that will keep you entertained for two hours straight without straining your brain.