Profound, in my opinion

Rating: 10/10 (14 June 2004)

My husband & I are the legal guardians of a multiply handicapped young man. One of his handicaps is short-term memory damage. Sometimes a passing comment sticks like super glue in his mind, but mostly, a LOT of repetition is needed to allow him to remember events, objects, and people. His time frame is different, too; time for him goes verrry sllloooowwwwwllllyyy. I firmly believe that he doesn't lie, but he has a great need to fill in memory gaps, sometimes with very surprising stories. Therefore, because of my tie with this young man, I have an abiding interest in human memory.
I have come to see how very personal and ephemeral memory truly is. Concepts like "truth" and "fact" are plastic even at the best of times, but in memory-damaged brains, can become downright syrupy. Time can become meaningless. I think this film captures these predicaments very well. The reverse editing of the film shows Pearce's character, Shelby, moving from shakier ground backward to firmer. That must be what short term memory damage must feel like - shaky ground.
I had last seen Guy Pearce in "Adventures of Pricilla, Queen of the Desert", so this was, of course, a very different role. Luckily, unlike my guardianee, Shelby had learned to read before his brain trauma or the search for the criminal would have been moot! Pearce did a great job displaying all the emotions and conflict Shelby went through to try to accomplish his very difficult task. I found this film to be profound and still think about it today.
Thank you.