UNFORGETTABLE

US, 1996, 111 minutes, Colour.
Ray Liotta, Linda Fiorentino, Peter Coyote, Christopher Mc Donald, David Paymer, Kim Cattrall.
Directed by John Dahl.

This is an intriguing murder mystery, full of twists. It is a police investigation drama. It also uses science fiction elements and combines them all well. Director John Dahl has already proven himself an expert at this kind of thriller (Kill Me Again, Red Rock West, Last Seduction). He uses Linda Fiorentino, his extraordinary femme fatale from Last Seduction, as a scientist experimenting on physical transferring of memory. Ray Liotta, a doctor acquitted of murdering his wife, takes the serum to solve the mystery. The visualising of these flashbacks (the experiences of being killed or of killing) are vivid and may be overwhelming for some audiences. But, all in all, it comes together as an effective and interesting thriller. Not a forgettable thriller.

1. The impact of the title? Characters and events? Memory and the scientific playing with human memory? The utilisation of science and techniques and psychology for unearthing memories, solving mysteries? The song - the memories of Nat King Cole?

2. The film as a murder investigation, a police thriller, touches of science fiction? A satisfying combination?

3. The use of the city of Seattle for locations? Day and the light in Seattle? The darkness in the city? The police precincts, homes, the university and laboratories? The atmosphere of crime and investigation? The musical score?

4. The initial crime and Dave and implications? Legal skills? The ugliness of the murder? The police chief and his reaction? Curtis and involvement? The clues and the impetus to action?

5. The pace of the film, action, the time span, the growing sense of urgency, the time available for the drug and its effects on memory? The plausibility?

6. The doctor and her lecture, people not listening to it, the aftermath at the social? Dave and his contacting her the next day? Martha's information, her research? The explanations of the drugs, the controlled experiments? The possibility of implanting memories in other people? Dave and his stealing the material? His wanting to face the risks? His wife and the re-enactment of her death? The girl and her face? The horror of identifying with the memories of victims, of killers? His building up information about what had happened? Dutton, the sketches, the address? The chase, the crash, church and death?

7. Martha and her experiments, the rats and the cat, the maze and the rats, the effect on Dave? The experience for himself, the re-enactments, psychological effect, physical effect? Stress? The heart stress?

8. The presentation of the police: the chief, his seeming detachment, friendship with Dave, demanding deadlines for solutions? The second in charge, his antagonistic manner towards Dave, his being on the case - and audience suspicion of him? The collaboration of the police - Dave and his work as a doctor, forensic work, having to collaborate with the police? The build-up to the shooting of Dutton and its repercussions?

9. Martha, the relationship with Dave, watching the effects, her horror, being forced to supervise him? The car and the crash? Caring for him, the hospital?

10. Dave and his being sacked, getting Dutton's fluid, seeing Dutton's innocence, seeing the other man? The complications of the plot - his lack of memory, his being drunk, the accusations and the court case, his being acquitted and Martha doing the research to find out about him? The suspicions of Dutton, the chase, the violence, taking his fluid? His decision to go further?

11. Martha giving more information about Dave's wife, her pregnancy, the DNA tests, the visit to the sister‑in‑law and her hostility, minding his children? The build-up to unmasking the unknown man? The explosion in the laboratory and the destruction?

12. Dave and his discovering the truth about the case, the death of the policeman, the affair, his wife's pregnancy? His going to the assistant - and he confrontation, the identity of the police chief, his drug dealings, power over the partner who was shot? In coma? Dave and the taking of the fluid to find out the final truth?

13. Martha and her being forced to agree, the chief of police and his intervention, tying her and taping her, her powerlessness? The experience of Dave's final revelation and its demands on him? The police chief and the complexity of the truth about his double dealings, knowledge about Dave's wife, the murder?

14. The fire, the children, the rescue? The rather calm ending of the case - but the opening up of possibilities? Dave seeing his wife in vision, the reconciliation - and his having to live a new life?

15. The audience attitudes towards Dave's wife, children? The ambiguity of the past? His drinking, his skills, the court case, opinion against him, his working with the police? Reform, the support of Martha - and a new life?