MINDSCAPE/ ANNA
Spain/UK/US, 2013, 99 minutes, Colour.
Mark Strong, Taissa Farmiga, Saskia Reeves, Richard Dillane, Indira Varma, Noah Taylor, Alberto Ammann, Brian Cox.
Directed by Jorge Dorado.
Mindscape is the name of the company for memory detectives, detectives with psychic powers, who meet with clients, hypnotise them, the clients reliving their memories, the detective entering into the memories, observing, understanding, and with a control to get the client to come out of the memories as required. This is an intriguing premise for a thriller, the audience accepting its possibility or plausibility – but, not real in the sense of the detective entering into the memory.
The film is a Spanish production, in English, set in the United States, with a mainly British cast, led by Mark Strong, a long-time character actor with many powerful performances, this one of his most convincing. Brian Cox is in support as the CEO of Mindscape. Noah Taylor appears at the end as another memory detective.
Taissa Farmiga is Anna, a 16-year-old and, daughter of a wealthy mother, widow, who has married again. They are disturbed about Anna, her mother considering her as “gifted”, her stepfather wanting her to have care in an institution to deal with her erratic behaviour. As the film opens she is on hunger strike. And, there is a whole surveillance system throughout the mansion and she is observed by a nurse.
Mark Strong is John Washington, a memory detective with skills but who has experienced the suicide of his wife after the quick death of their newborn. He is commissioned with the case by the head of Mindscape. The bulk of the film is John dealing with Anna, her trusting him, collaborating with him, the range of her memories, as a little child, at school, bullied, friends, the seeming sexual advances of the teacher… John explores the case, examines the files, believes Anna. The climax of the film is his being summoned to the house, mysterious happenings, and her fleeing, and John discovering a complete set up with his taking the blame for what has happened, his imprisonment. Which, of course, changes audience perspective about Anna and her collaboration and her manipulation.
For audiences who accept the premise of memory detection, quite an interesting thriller.
1. Psychological science fiction? Psychological exploration? Detective investigation?
2. The American setting, the British and international cast, the Spanish director, filming in Spain?
3. The plot as intriguing? The plausibility of the plot?
4. John Washington, strong presence of Mark Strong, the opening sequences in the mystery, his presence in the house, his wife and her behaviour, the bath, the violence, her fears? His observing? Her not seeing him? His being removed from the scene?
5. The revelations about memory detection, the process, hypnosis, the memories, and the detective present in the memories, observing, not seen by the subject, issue of truth, invented characters, stopped clocks…? The Mindscape company, Sebastian, running the company, employing John, John and the effect of his wife’s death, getting the job with Anna? The later presence of Peter Lundgren being a mind detective for John himself?
6. The case, the rich family, Anna, 16, the clashes with her mother, her stepfather and his behaviour, sexual? Her being gifted, her going on hunger strike, her powers, manipulative? The prospect of going to an institution? Judith and the monitors, Judith observing her behaviour and reporting?
7. John, sad, needing money, the phone calls about selling his house, Sebastien’s pressure? John taking the case, going to the house, the discussions with the parents? Meeting Anna, hunger strike, her drawing on sketches, her poise?
8. The film and the sequences of reliving Anna’s memories, John in them, observing? Anna as a little girl, her stepfather, with her mother, the letter opener, the gash on the hand? John observing, probing, his manner, questions? Anna agreeing to have the memory detection? The memories of her at school, the three girls, persecution, the character of Mousy, the trio critical of mousy, Anna and her abandoning of her? The memories of the teacher, the implications of his sexual behaviour? And the effect on Anna? John going to visit the teacher in prison, and the range of sexual photos on the computer?
9. Sebastian in one of the memories, John accosting him, blaming him? The blame on the teacher? The stepfather?
10. John, taking the seriously, wanting to continue, Sebastian letting him continue? His getting Anna’s files, searching in them, the character of Mousy, Anna and her notes, writing?
11. The buildup to the crisis, his being summoned by Anna, going to the house, the surveillance, locked in the room, the power going off, his coming out, the mother unconscious, the blood on the floor, going out into the woods, pursuing Anna, and of the mysterious figure, the call to the police, meeting with Anna, the blood on her hands, her apology, running off, disappearing?
12. The police, John with blood on his hands, the implausibility of his story, his 911 call, Anna’s 911 call and denouncing John? His explaining the situation, the audience having seen it, sympathy for him, the police blaming him, in prison? Peter Lundgren, and the audience having seen John’s memories, and Lundgren coming in, observing, unable to help?
13. The message from Anna, the newspaper and the photo, a note of thanks?
14. John, the experience, probing and is character, her psyche, her control and manipulation?
