2.5 out of 5 Stars
As he takes a break from spruiking Laughing Man Coffee, Hugh Jackman's newest persona is the mind detective, Nick Bannister. Unlike Christopher Nolan’s Inception, this gifted sleuth extracts old memories called “reminiscence” rather than implanting new ones. Life in this future world is unbearable for most, so Nick’s skills of extracting memories becomes a sought after trade. Some clients wish to relive better years gone by with loved ones long lost, while others simply want to find their lost keys. During one of these less than dramatic requests, Nick crosses paths with Mae (Rebecca Ferguson), a mysterious woman who manages to turn his world upside down. She is one of the detective’s clients who goes missing without a trace and ens up becoming an obsession for the detective.
First time director of this philosophical, dystopian drama is Lisa Joy. She is renowned for producing HBO’s Westworld alongside her husband Jonathan Nolan (Christopher’s brother). Joy creates a believable post-war Miami where her characters ask questions about love, hope, happiness and meaning. Also, it is interesting to consider what would happen to coastal cities like Miami if global warming had its full effect. The impact of flooding throughout Florida does create a land shortage that is taken advantage of by wealthy opportunists. Which leads to the other 99% of the population living in what remains.
The brilliance of Reminiscence can be found in the concepts they address. Unfortunately, the execution fails to support these fascinating considerations. Jackman and Ferguson elevate what is otherwise a relatively bland and regularly ham-fisted script. Which suffers from Joy’s methodical pacing that begins for the first act and never really recovers. Despite being part of the groundbreaking HBO series, the visual effects are substandard. Several of the plot points are difficult to grasp and their conclusions feel hollow towards the end. Even so, the lead actors have fantastic chemistry and still manage to make the audience care about their journey.
For fans of the two stars of The Greatest Showman, this is not a family film. In particular, caution should be exercised for younger viewers. This film does contain foul language and sexual content that may cause discomfort for some viewers.
Reel Dialogue: Are there no happy endings?
It is Mae’s question to Nick that summarises the whole film’s storyline. She says, “Tell me a happy story.” While Nick simply replies, “There are no stories with happy endings.” The entire film centres on a simple assertion that there is little hope in humanity’s future. The only hope for love, happiness and a sense of meaning is found in the people around us now. Yet, there is a problem with this assertion. Is the closest we will ever get to heaven contained in the few fleeting moments we have on earth with others here in this broken world?
Though Lisa Joy presents memories as the source of great joy, meaning, hope and happiness, the reality is that memory creates a profoundly unsatisfying answer to the questions raised. If all we have worth holding onto is our past, what value is our present or future?
The hope of eternal life infuses meaning, joy, and happiness within the Christian faith into life here and now. This hope of eternal future ensures that our choices in this life matter. What we do is not merely lost to fading memories but written in the grand story of redemptive history. Without a future or eternity, this life really is meaningless. That is why Jesus was able to tell his audience of impoverished farmers and subsistence workers in John 10:10, “I have come to give you life, life abundant…”
This abundant life is inextricably linked to eternal life. Where our choices in this life will have mattered, the scales of justice will be balanced and our best days will always be ahead of us. There will be no more tears, no more sorrow or loss and no more pain. The misery of this life is washed away by the perfection of the next. Sorry Nick, but you are wrong. Some stories do have happy endings.
