Memories Movie Review

109

Irrefutably actor Vetri Sudley has built a reputation in bold experimentation. Even his latest film Memories add another brick to his reputation. The film is about a memory loss patient who suspects that he is being framed for multiple homicides by someone. Actor Vetri Sudley who was last seen in the thriller drama Jiivi 2 is back on screens with his action thriller film Memories. Actress Parvathy Arun has essayed the female lead part in the film. Directors Syam and Praveen have directed the movie. They have co written the script along with writer Vipin Krishnan. So, how has the action thriller movie Memories come out? Will it be a successful drama for actor Vetri Sudley, and be a memorable film for story tellers Syam and Praveen? To know that let us get into the movie review. 

Memories tells the tale of Venky (Vetri Sudley), a memory loss patient who is alleged to have committed multiple murders. The film opens to Venky as a participant of an investigative tv show named Memories hosted by Hareesh Peradi, waiting to narrate his story to the world. The story begins with Venky barging into a police station, with a blood-stained t-shirt seeking the assistance of police claiming that someone is after his life. Upon request for more details by a cop, he begins to recite another story. A story in which he wakes up with a bandage to his head in a dilapidated laboratory located in a remote forest. With a jarring background score a person walks into the room. Venky tells him that he has lost his memory, and asks him for details as to why he is kept in the building. The person replies in metaphors. He then takes Venky in a car. 

Venky learns that he is wanted for murders from a newspaper in the car. The person gives Venky a 17-hour ultimatum to find out who he is, and speeds away. Venky gets a phone call from Saravanan (Ramesh Thilak). He comes to pick him up. On the way, Venky reveals to him that he has lost his memory, and he does not remember him. He asks Saravanan for how they both know each other and whether he knows anything about his life. We have another story. Venky comes to Saravanan’s home after a long time to see locations for a film that he is about to direct. They go to a hotel, where Venky starts to narrate his plot to him. A bizarre thing happens. The story suddenly turns into a real-life event, and we have a duet number. Who is Venky, did he actually commit the murders, or is someone trying to set him up, is what makes the rest of the flick. 

Memories has an experimental aura filled all over it. It is a good thing when creators skip the conventional path and take a shot at nonlinear storytelling. We as audience could make few concessions to such attempts. Provided we get at least something new in terms of cinematic experience. In the case of Memories, directors Syam and Praveen are ambitious to the skies but they do not even take off from the ground as the material on hand is mediocre beyond tolerance. Memories reiterate a series of events from different dimensions that not only demands too much focus for nothing but resoundingly drains the audience. 

Yep, at the start this approach got us hooked. But gradually, it loses focus from the core plot and begins to go all over the place as per the whims and fancies of the creators. Apart from the core idea, we do not see an effort in any other aspect. For instance, the manner in which Venky escapes from the cops every single time, and the back stories given as reasons for the murders are written just like that. Also, the film screams of budget constraints in our face. There are intriguing ideas in Memories as well. Like the way in which all the narratives manage to converge at a point finally, and a couple of smartly placed twists. But there really is not a story to pull the film together, and offer us something to hold in our memory. 

Actor Vetri Sudley struggles to sell his character convincingly. There are rare moments where he elevates the scene with his performance, but for a substantial portion he is straight faced. Actress Parvathy Arun has nothing much to offer to move the proceedings. Nonetheless, she lives up to her role. Actor Hareesh Peradi for a change has opted a role that is contrast from the stereotypical part he has been doing incessantly. Unfortunately, his character has limited scope for him to perform. But he makes an impact despite limitations. Actor Ramesh Thilak serves the purpose for why he was brought on board. Actress Dayana Hameed is operational. Actor R N R Manohar is adequate. Actor Sajil is functional. The rest of the cast has delivered an average performance. 

On the technical front, music director Gavaskar Avinash’s tracks do not stay in our memory. But he adds value with his background score that aids in fashioning the mystery pulse of the film. Cinematographers Armo and Kiran Nupital have done a middling job covering the drama. Their camera angles do nothing to bring the intensity needed for a thriller drama. Editor San Lokesh has brought forth his fine editing prowess to weed out the flaws in the work of his colleagues. 

On the whole, directors Syam and Praveen are fixated on the experimentation part so much that they overlook the basic film making traits prerequisite to engage the audience.