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THE MEMORY OF A KILLER Send This Review to a Friend
A film from Belgium, “The Memory of a Killer” is a taut story of crime and revenge with a good cast and a plot that keeps one enthralled. The mood is consistently tense and the characters are compelling.
Jan Decleir has the lead as Angelo Ledda, a cool, calculating hit man who has the assignment of killing two people in Belgium. His work is caught up with criminal activity that reaches into high power echelons, and he grows increasingly resentful of the bigwigs who are getting away with their deeds.
It turns out that one of his targets is a 12-year-oild girl, and this crosses the line for Ledda. The killer doesn’t have a lot to lose by rebelling. He is ill with Alzheimer’s, and he knows that his days are numbered. This gives him an edge that accentuates his desire to see that those he despises pay no matter the personal cost to him. Meanwhile, detectives are on the trail, and it is a question of at what point all will come together.
Decleir is excellent in the role, and comes across a bit like the late French star Jean Gabin. “The Memory of a Killer” is based on the novel by Jef Geeraerts, with a script by Eric Van Looy, who directed the film, and Carl Joos. Van Looy’s direction hypes the suspense, inching toward the inevitable climax that one awaits with unflagging interest. A Sony Pictures Classics release.
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