After causing a stir at the Venice Film Festival, Memory is fast approaching its theatrical release in the United States. An official trailer has dropped, teasing an emotional story of a man and woman attempting to navigate their painful pasts.
Memory is helmed by filmmaker Michel Franco, who is best known for his work on Lucia and April’s Daughter. He frequently produces dramas that delicately tackle complex themes such as family dysfunction, abuse, and trauma. So far, Memory is shaping up to be one of his most powerful dramas yet. After premiering at the Venice Film Festival, it received glowing reviews from critics who praised the complexity and emotion of the story and its characters. Memory was so well-received that it was chosen to compete for the top award at the festival—the Golden Lion.
Here’s everything we know about Memory so far.
The searing trailer for Memory has arrived
Ahead of Memory‘s theatrical release on December 22, Ketchup Entertainment dropped the official trailer.
With a soft score and simple presentation, the trailer allows Memory‘s emotion to shine through. Viewers get a general idea of the story, which sees a woman unexpectedly pulled into the life of a man suffering from memory loss. There’s a calmness to the clip that reflects the gentleness and weariness of these characters as they try to explain the past. The trailer definitely sparks curiosity with hints of a mystery, but mostly, it draws audiences in by giving a snapshot of a powerful and emotional connection between two people with painful pasts.
What to expect from Memory
Academy Award-winning actress Jessica Chastain headlines the cast of Memory. Chastain, who is best known for her roles in The Help, Zero Dark Thirty, and The Eyes of Tammy Faye, stars in Memory as Sylvia, a social worker and single mother. Starring opposite Chastain is Dopesick‘s Peter Sarsgaard as Saul, a man suffering from memory loss. His performance is highly anticipated as he won the Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival for Memory.
Rising actress Brooke Timber, who gained recognition for her role in Russian Doll, also appears in Memory as Sylvia’s daughter. Meanwhile, Merritt Wever portrays Sylvia’s younger sister, Olivia, while Jessica Harper stars as their estranged mother, Samantha. Josh Charles plays the role of Saul’s brother, Isaac, and Elsie Fisher is Isaac’s daughter, Sara. Rounding out the cast are Jackson Dorfmann as Mark, Elizabeth Loyacano as Megan, and Alexis Rae Forlenza as Lucy.
The official synopsis for Memory reads:
Sylvia is a social worker who leads a simple and structured life. This is blown open when Saul follows her home from their high school reunion. Their surprise encounter will profoundly impact both of them as they open the door to the past.
In an interview with Variety, Michel explained that Sylvia is struggling with addiction after surviving abuse, while Saul has early-onset dementia. The premise of the film is that Saul follows her home one day, but viewers will have to wait to find out why and how these two individuals’ lives intersect. It seems to be an emotional and intriguing premise, and the positive reception raises even more anticipation for how the story of Memory ultimately plays out.
(featured image: Ketchup Entertainment)
