FS: Memory of a Killer

Foreign Spotlight: Memory of a Killer

A young girl prostituted by her own father, an aging hitman with Alzheimer, a sexually charged widow, a corrupt Baron and two diverse detectives all clash heads in the vicious, cold blooded thriller Memory of Killer. Containing a little Belgium twist, this is definitely Flemish director Erik Van Looy’s homage to the American thriller with an extra effort to gain popularity beyond his national audience.

Angelo Ledda (Jan Decleir) is the aging hitman forced to write down everything of importance on his arms due to his battle with Alzheimer. But unlike Memento, he uses a marker that can easily be wiped clean to leave no trace. Against his own judgment he takes on a mission that eventually leads him into the world of pedophilia. Ledda, a hitman with a heart of gold, grows a conscience and falls out of love with murder, but he doesn’t forget how to kill. When Ledda finds out his second target is a little girl, he turns into vengeful beast going after those that sent him on the mission. Acting as a window wiper, Ledda makes a crosshair designed with soap and fires a bullet through the bull’s-eye and into the unsuspecting dome of his victim. With the police force investigating the case and getting into the mind of a killer, Angelo begins to shows his intelligent side as he creates a puzzle around the case. Through the film a psychological connection forms between the Ledda and the Detectives Erik Vincke (Koen De Bouw) and Freddy Verstuyft (Werner De Smedt), in particular Vincke, and rightfully so. It is because of that same young girl forced into prostitution that both parties go after the real cold blooded killer – the corrupt Baron. In the end they need each other to solve this case.

The homonymous book, published in the 80’s, is different than the film because the film is based in the Belgium of 1995. This is how Van Looy found a way to incorporate reality into even a genre film as he did earlier with his first two films (Ad Fundum and Shades). Van Loy merged Memory with real events that occurred in Belgium in 1995-96 when young children were being abducted and raped. It was a case known as the infamous Dutroux case – and the narrative acknowledges certain similarities within the present. That was Belgium then and what we see now as shown through the stylized lens of cinematographer Danny Elsen are color palettes of blue and green, the underbelly of Belgium is depicted with a back drop of dilapidated buildings, old castles and dark police headquarters.

As far as Van Looy’s obvious influences – there’s an interview on the Sony Pictures Classics website that explains in depth his admiration for directors such as Michael Mann, Don Siegel, and Christopher Nolan among others. Apparently he is trying to win some points in America and looking to direct a sequel or possibly an American adaptation of the book written by Jeff Geeraerts. Geeraerts is a Flemish crime novelist whose other works are surely to find their way onto the big screen in the future.

More than it’s action packed sequences and witty cop banter, more than the awards (5 Belgium Oscars including Best Director and Best Actor) and the money grossed by this film – this was one of the top ten grossing films of all time in Belgium thanks to the three “hottest” actors in Belgium playing the lead roles. This significance for Belgium cinema is what makes this film special. American cinema dominates most homegrown films in many countries as far as the box office goes, and this film has competed and won. Giving confidence to a cinema not widely known outside its country. This U.S. release can only further help the industry abroad and inspire more funding and bigger ideas. Whether or not this means better films is up to the filmmakers, but the opportunity is surely on the horizon. And this is the most important reason why this film is a success. Memory of Killer is about a hitman with his own agenda, I wouldn’t be surprised if Van Looy didn’t have one too.

For more on the film visit the official site.