SHATTERED MEMORIES
US, 2018, 91 minutes, Colour.
Elizabeth Bogush, Eddie Kaye Thomas, Brad Schmidt, Sarah Lind, Philip Boyd, Victoria Barabas, Mark, Famiglietti, Walker Borba.
Directed by Chris Siverston.
Shattered Memories is a popular murder mystery, with the visual style and the type of characters from popular soap operas. The opening is striking, the central character, Holly, awakening to find a dead body in her bed and her being covered in blood.
The action takes place the morning after the death, Holly not going to the police, trying to track down what happened. Involved are two of her sisters, one about to be engaged to a teacher at the school, the other married to her husband for 15 years. She has attended the celebration the night before.
There is quite a range of flashbacks, building up the story of Holly, her family, relationship with her sisters, the school encounter with the father of a student with problems, having an affair with him.
Audiences will be thinking ill of the murdered man but, in Holly’s flashbacks, he comes across as more genuine and apologetic.
The murderer is something of a surprise, mixed motivations, in the screenplay contriving for him to be shrewd, driving Holly, setting up the murder…
1. Murder mystery? Situation? Suspects?
2. The American city, homes and apartments, the streets, parties, school and guidance offices, countryside? Musical score?
3. The linear narrative, the range of flashbacks, mixed up – according to the title? The fact that Holly was a drugged and her trying to piece the past together?
4. The opening, Holly awakening, Ray dead in the bed? Her initial reactions? Washing the blood? Not phoning the police?
5. The morning after the death, contacting her mother, her sister arriving, the plan for breakfast, Tim outside with the phone? Her husband returning, her son? Camping? Mysterious behaviour? Driving, seeing Lois with Glenn, her suspicions? With her son, his concern about divorce? Her husband and telling him the truth, upset for both parties? Her being summoned to the house, the three sisters, Ray arriving, the solution to the mystery?
6. The flashbacks, Holly at school, Ray, his daughter and Teddy, her making up stories, Holly trying to intervene, meeting with Ray? Going for walks with him, the beginning of the affair? At the party, his speech, into the pool with Lois? Lois saying that Ray took her home?
7. The party, her drinking, Joanna and Tim together, Lyle and Lois, 15 years, Holly bringing both groups together? The fact that she was drugged, taken to Ray’s place by Tim? The setup?
8. The revelation that Tim was jealous, murderer, setting up Ray in the bed, removing him, putting his body back on the bed, Joanna’s reaction? The knife, her killing him?
9. Hope for the future, Holly and her son, Ray’s daughter returning, Holly planning to explain everything to the daughter?
