Yet another filmmaker whose works I've failed to explore properly, Apichatpong Weerasethakul (or "Joe") is one of the foremost contenders for the title of The Next Tarkovsky -- mainly his use of weather, environments, and languid camera work to create a pitch-perfect mood, as well as his exploration of spiritual themes through sci-fi and Fantasy (the subtle kind where eerie sounds carry greater supernatural weight than flashy Hollywood graphics). In Memoria, which doesn't quite live up to Tarkovsky proper, there is also something particularly striking about Tilda Swinton's performance and the way we constantly inhabit her lonesome headspace.
Brian Tallerico wrote of how fascinatingly "displaced" the movie feels while still managing to be engrossing (for the right people), not only due to the single-take scenes that let all the events play out naturally before us:
"Rarely does a film completely disconnect me from the many distractions going on in my life ... one that I suspect will truly resonate with those who feel similarly displaced from the world around them."
Indeed, no matter how you interpret Memoria and its seemingly ever-shifting reality, those who will truly get the most out of it are those of us who feel as if we're observing the world more so than we participate in its flow (people like Swinton's character, who are more likely to ponder the uncharted while others talk about jobs and relationships). It is a film that connects us, more so than real interactions might, saying more than words could.
Brian Tallerico wrote of how fascinatingly "displaced" the movie feels while still managing to be engrossing (for the right people), not only due to the single-take scenes that let all the events play out naturally before us:
"Rarely does a film completely disconnect me from the many distractions going on in my life ... one that I suspect will truly resonate with those who feel similarly displaced from the world around them."
Indeed, no matter how you interpret Memoria and its seemingly ever-shifting reality, those who will truly get the most out of it are those of us who feel as if we're observing the world more so than we participate in its flow (people like Swinton's character, who are more likely to ponder the uncharted while others talk about jobs and relationships). It is a film that connects us, more so than real interactions might, saying more than words could.