REMAINDER is a 2016 British psychological drama directed by Omer Fast, based on the book by Tom McCarthy and starring Tom Sturridge as its unnamed protagonist. The film begins with the protagonist (whom I'll refer to as Tom to make this more bearable for all of us) suffering a severe head injury that results in serious brain damage - and while his physical recovery is touched upon, it's the mental recovery that the film focuses on. Tom wants to remember the events that led up to his injury, and does so by hiring actors and building sets based on his vague memories in an attempt to recapture specific images, smells, sounds and feelings trapped in his head. The whole film unravels in a sort of dreamlike way, with scenes feeling like they're occurring on the other side of a window. Dialogue is often faint, scenes void of establishing shots, conversations glimpsed but not fully heard. We visit scenes multiple times in various ways, with shots feeling familiar but from where? Basically we're in the same position as our lost protagonist, à la Memento. Filled with this wonderful feeling of intrigue, we try to solve the mystery as Tom does, though our concern may be less "what happened?" And more "what the hell is going on?" The past and present blur together and break apart - we see Tom talking to somebody for the first time yet predicting the conversation, while he ignores people who seem to know him. This sense of disorientation flows through the whole film, culminating in what may prove to be a divisive climax. WHY SHOULD I WATCH IT? If you enjoy the feeling of solving a film like a puzzle, or if you're a fan of works with a similar sense of paranoia and repetition like Westworld or The Truman Show, then you'll have lots to enjoy here.
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October 2017
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