I can’t imagine anyone other than Christopher Plummer in the role of Zev Guttman, a man who is determined to find the Gestapo survivor who murdered his family over 70 years ago in Auschwitz. Problem is: Zev suffers from the early stages of dementia and all he’s got in his hands is a gun and a letter written by his friend Max (the great Martin Landau) to remind him of his task, every step of the way. The movie’s backbone is impeccable: a holocaust drama that is meant to hit you straight between the eyes. What’s more, Christopher Plummer, 86, gives a superior performance. So why didn’t I feel the impact of the story more? Acting aside, one can guess the essential facts of the story from the synopsis, or even the trailer. There are a few surprises in Benjamin August’s script (which I shall not reveal), and the movie is undoubtedly sincere in paying tribute to the people who perished in Auschwitz, but once it ended, I didn’t hold my breathe in awe. Dramas like this tend to move me. For me, “Remember” isn’t one of them.
Categories: 2.5/4, drama, The Twenty-First Century