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(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“After undergoing a procedure to erase his memories, a successful author begins having unexplained recollections relating to a series of unsolved murders.”
My first impression after having viewed 2017’s Battle Of Memories is to suggest that it is little more than 2010’s Inception except that it was made for … well … simpler people. The script from director Leste Chen and Peng Ren sets its SciFi-lite premise in the near future – in some place called T-Nation that unsurprisingly looks Asian – and dabbles only circumstantially with a great deal of similar ideas, namely that memories are both accessible technologically and causal factors for how we behave. Similarly, both stories would essentially collapse if you removed ‘the science’ from them (this is not to suggest in any way that ‘the science’ as depicted is real), and how their respective characters interact with reality and perceptual reality. However, where each ends up is vastly different; and that fact alone might always have Battle feeling derivative if not a pale imitation.
Still, they do differ significantly in how they approach their central idea.
Christopher Nolan’s Inception had its merry band of agents interacting with one man’s subconscious in order to manipulate his conscious behaviors. In comparison, Jiang Feng (played by Huang Bo) is a writer whose marriage to Zhang Daichen (Jinglei Xu) has been plagued by a string of interpersonal issues that the two seem unable to overcome. Feeling he has no other course of action and on the cusp of finalizing the divorce, Jiang seeks the services of the ‘Master of Memories’ Medical Center in hopes to have those memories tied to his feelings of love and affection removed, a condition that’ll allow him to live out his life without the emotional baggage of a failed marriage. The procedure appears to be a success; but when Zhang seemingly has a ‘change of heart,’ she insists the man have the memories re-integrated before she’s willing to explain her reasons.
Though it’s never quite clearly explained how (other than being a horrifically convenient mix-up), Jiang finds himself experienced memories – via well rendered flashbacks – that are not his own. It would seem that somehow the unthinkable has happened, and the man has been implanted with the recollections of someone who – as Fate would have it – is at the very center of a recent homicide still fresh under investigation by the authorities. When he goes to the police in an attempt to aid them in their search for a suspect, detectives Shen Hanqiang (Yihong Duan) and Lei Zi (Patricio Antonio Liang) naturally see Jiang as a possible collaborator if not the central killer; and it’s this central whodunnit that gives Battle the bulk of its narrative spine.
The upside of the film’s use of its science is that both as the memories are removed and are returned to a recipient the patient is understandably plagued by fragments of scenes which might seem familiar but may not make much sense. It’s into this fugue state that the audience joins Jiang on this curious journey; and director Chen does a fabulous job shepherding our course through images which initially are a bit jarring. Over the course of the running time, he gradually allows it all to make more sense even though there’s a bitter bill to be swallowed once viewers find out who the murderer is. Undoubtedly, some are going to feel cheated – yes, it’s a bit too opportune, to say the least, and relies treacherously on human melodrama rather than cold and pure logic – and that’s likely the film’s biggest stumble.
No matter how well delivered the solution is, there’s little room to deny that it relies heavily on conveniences that rarely exist outside of the movies.
Battle Of Memories (2017) was produced by Golden Cicada Films, Shanghai Universaljoy Pictures, and Wanda Pictures. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Bayview Entertainment. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can still assure readers that the provided sights and sounds are very good throughout. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Alas, there isn’t a single one on here … and that’s always a miss with this critic.
Mildly Recommended.
While Chen and Ren’s SciFi/Mystery is quite astutely assembled, Battle Of Memories (20217) still can’t quite shake the problem that there’s an incredible series of contrivances required to make its premise and puzzle work here; and I would imagine that some in the audiences might even turn up their nose once they found out who is at the center of this only mildly clever whodunnit. Performances are solid – their film balances its central trickery on excellent cinematography, so hats off there to all involved – even though motivations remain ambiguous throughout; and yet the film remains the kind of effort that’ll likely earn praise for attempting to accomplish something visionary despite its pieces needing to be forced together in the conclusion. Thankfully, there’s just enough Science Fiction in there – both textually and aesthetically – to make it work as required otherwise this one would probably find itself relegated to the bargain bin.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Bayview Entertainment (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Battle Of Memories (2017) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“After undergoing a procedure to erase his memories, a successful author begins having unexplained recollections relating to a series of unsolved murders.”
My first impression after having viewed 2017’s Battle Of Memories is to suggest that it is little more than 2010’s Inception except that it was made for … well … simpler people. The script from director Leste Chen and Peng Ren sets its SciFi-lite premise in the near future – in some place called T-Nation that unsurprisingly looks Asian – and dabbles only circumstantially with a great deal of similar ideas, namely that memories are both accessible technologically and causal factors for how we behave. Similarly, both stories would essentially collapse if you removed ‘the science’ from them (this is not to suggest in any way that ‘the science’ as depicted is real), and how their respective characters interact with reality and perceptual reality. However, where each ends up is vastly different; and that fact alone might always have Battle feeling derivative if not a pale imitation.
Still, they do differ significantly in how they approach their central idea.
Christopher Nolan’s Inception had its merry band of agents interacting with one man’s subconscious in order to manipulate his conscious behaviors. In comparison, Jiang Feng (played by Huang Bo) is a writer whose marriage to Zhang Daichen (Jinglei Xu) has been plagued by a string of interpersonal issues that the two seem unable to overcome. Feeling he has no other course of action and on the cusp of finalizing the divorce, Jiang seeks the services of the ‘Master of Memories’ Medical Center in hopes to have those memories tied to his feelings of love and affection removed, a condition that’ll allow him to live out his life without the emotional baggage of a failed marriage. The procedure appears to be a success; but when Zhang seemingly has a ‘change of heart,’ she insists the man have the memories re-integrated before she’s willing to explain her reasons.
Though it’s never quite clearly explained how (other than being a horrifically convenient mix-up), Jiang finds himself experienced memories – via well rendered flashbacks – that are not his own. It would seem that somehow the unthinkable has happened, and the man has been implanted with the recollections of someone who – as Fate would have it – is at the very center of a recent homicide still fresh under investigation by the authorities. When he goes to the police in an attempt to aid them in their search for a suspect, detectives Shen Hanqiang (Yihong Duan) and Lei Zi (Patricio Antonio Liang) naturally see Jiang as a possible collaborator if not the central killer; and it’s this central whodunnit that gives Battle the bulk of its narrative spine.
The upside of the film’s use of its science is that both as the memories are removed and are returned to a recipient the patient is understandably plagued by fragments of scenes which might seem familiar but may not make much sense. It’s into this fugue state that the audience joins Jiang on this curious journey; and director Chen does a fabulous job shepherding our course through images which initially are a bit jarring. Over the course of the running time, he gradually allows it all to make more sense even though there’s a bitter bill to be swallowed once viewers find out who the murderer is. Undoubtedly, some are going to feel cheated – yes, it’s a bit too opportune, to say the least, and relies treacherously on human melodrama rather than cold and pure logic – and that’s likely the film’s biggest stumble.
No matter how well delivered the solution is, there’s little room to deny that it relies heavily on conveniences that rarely exist outside of the movies.
Battle Of Memories (2017) was produced by Golden Cicada Films, Shanghai Universaljoy Pictures, and Wanda Pictures. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Bayview Entertainment. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can still assure readers that the provided sights and sounds are very good throughout. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? Alas, there isn’t a single one on here … and that’s always a miss with this critic.
Mildly Recommended.
While Chen and Ren’s SciFi/Mystery is quite astutely assembled, Battle Of Memories (20217) still can’t quite shake the problem that there’s an incredible series of contrivances required to make its premise and puzzle work here; and I would imagine that some in the audiences might even turn up their nose once they found out who is at the center of this only mildly clever whodunnit. Performances are solid – their film balances its central trickery on excellent cinematography, so hats off there to all involved – even though motivations remain ambiguous throughout; and yet the film remains the kind of effort that’ll likely earn praise for attempting to accomplish something visionary despite its pieces needing to be forced together in the conclusion. Thankfully, there’s just enough Science Fiction in there – both textually and aesthetically – to make it work as required otherwise this one would probably find itself relegated to the bargain bin.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Bayview Entertainment (via Allied Vaughn) provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Battle Of Memories (2017) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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