Amnesia (2004) starring John Hannah, Jemma Redgrave, Anthony Calf, Patrick Malahide directed by Nicholas Laughland Movie Review

Amnesia (2004)   3/53/53/53/53/5


John Hannah in Amnesia (2004)

Unforgettable

Three months after his wife Lucia (Beatriz Batarda) went missing her husband D.S. Mackenzie Stone (John Hannah) can't get over it and when he isn't working he is searching for her, putting up missing posters and communicating online with others who are looking for missing people. It is how he comes across a missing poster for a man called Paul West who reminds him of a man called John Dean (Anthony Calf) who a few months after West went missing was discovered suffering from amnesia and who still can't remember who he was having started a new life and got married to Jenna (Jemma Redgrave). But West's disappearance coincided with the death of his wife in a fire and Mac thinks that not only is Dean really West but he maybe planning to do the same thing again. But suddenly someone starts anonymously accusing Mac of murdering his wife and he becomes the focus of an investigation as it suggested Mac is projecting his own guilt on to John Dean.

I had better say straight away to do "Amnesia" justice I am going to have to give some spoilers away but before I do I will say if you haven't watched it yet and don't want to know then just sit and watch it, stick with it and be prepared to enjoy the clever yet preposterous twists which make this TV mini series/ movie entertaining.

Jemma Redgrave and Anthony Calf in Amnesia (2004)

Okay so when "Amnesia" starts it isn't too be honest that entertaining as we enter the world of Mac who has become obsessed with finding his missing wife and it has taken over his life. Yes John Hannah sells this side of the movie as he does throughout the movie but it isn't interesting nor is it that interesting when he becomes suspicious of John Dean and becomes obsessed about proving that he was Paul West and is in fact a murderer. You begin to say to yourself there must be more to "Amnesia" than just this or else it is going to be a long, drawn out 3 hours.

Thankfully there is and we have Mac's own memory loss to the night that Lucia left; he remembers being drunk and rowing but that is it which combined with the notes which question whether he killed her makes us wonder what is going on, did he kill his wife and doesn't know it, is someone playing games. This gives us the guilt projection idea as we are lead to wonder whether sublimely he is accusing John Dean of the guilt he feels and is in truth subconsciously sending himself the messages.

But here is the real doozy of a twist and the main spoiler as Mac becomes convinced that John Dean is a serial killer and has been murdering wives to stop them from having children in order to prevent DNA testing and in fact has been faking his amnesia. Wait as there is more as Dean also has killer computer skills and is behind the setting up of Mac to look guilty. It is ridiculous but it is also ridiculously entertaining.

What this all boils down to is that "Amnesia" is one of those movies/ mini-series which is well worth a watch because if it sucks you in you will enjoy the twists and turns. But it is also one of the movies/ mini-series which afterwards you will find your self thinking about and realising how ridiculous it is. Thankfully "Amnesia" does feature a good cast who bring this drama to life.


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