Remember Review – Shocking, Suspenseful, A Triumph

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Category: Film

Published on Saturday, 09 April 2016 10:18

Written by Janet Walker

Remember, from Serendipity Point Films and A24, presents a modern story of revenge, brought on by the horrors of Auschwitz and a lone survivor who remains true to his word of finding every last one without exception.

Directed by Atom Egoyam, Remember stars Christopher Plummer and Martin Landau and also stars Dean Norris, Bruno Ganz, Jurgen Prochnow, Henry Czerny, Stefani Kimber, Jane Spidell and Heinz Lieven and was written by Benjamin August.

Remember, brought on by the horrors of Auschwitz, doesn’t delve into the atrocities. The brutalities, terror and truths are told by a lone survivor, Max Rosenbaum, played by Martin Landau, who spent his life working with the Simon Wiesenthal Institute tracking down the very last of the remaining Nazi's.

He is finally at a place where he has a lead on one of the guards stationed in his barracks, Rudy Kurlander. Confined to an assisted living facility, he enlists Zev Guttman, played by Christopher Plummer, who is still mobile enough to complete the hunt for the remaining guard responsible for killing his family.

Rosenbaum has worked out the plan, which seems impossible, as Guttman is elderly with moments of forgetfulness. Even so it seems that he and Max have worked out this plan, when their lives came to a particular place they would find those responsible for the atrocities and not rest until justice is exacted.

With hypnotic precision, Max speaks the instructions to Zev: This is what you do; where you go, and writes explicit instructions to the most minute detail.

And the journey to find Rudy Kurlander begins. Remember weaves a journey from New York, the settling place for both Max and Zev, a place where they began again, watched the years advance and never forgot. As if it were yesterday, the men, now in their 90’s begin first in Cleveland, to purchase a weapon and a meeting with the first possible Rudy Kurlander.

Our Cleveland Kurlander, reminiscent of John Demjanjak, was able to prove he was not the barrack guard. Soon Zev is following the instructions to each destination where the intersections of time may have placed them at Auschwitz determined by the years of research from Max. 

As he is making his way around the country looking for a man who may be dead, his son, Charles, played by Henry Czerny, is frantically looking for him. He is up against elder care bureaucracy and the “we’ve seen this before” conclusion. Without any real issues, other than forgetfulness and elderly, Zev is free to wander as he desires. Contacting his son is a courtesy even over the protestations of concerned adult children.

The mission has Max unable to leave his room as he waits by the phone for reports from the road. The two have several conversation as each of the Kurlander’s are coming up blanks.

As the film, which is thoroughly engaging, breathlessly so, progresses finding Rudy Kurlander seems more of an impossibility. We finally get to the home of the recently deceased Rudy Kurlander and meet his son John, played by Dean Norris.

John, a sheriff in backwoods nowhere, is an alcoholic, mean, with a deep fascination to the German Nazi culture. His father, Rudy, has an original copy of Mein Kampf, collectors’ items, stunning attachments that would make most cringe and even named his dog, Eva. Surely, one would think this has to be Rudy Kurlander the Nazi Barrack Guard.

On the surface, John seems like an okay person. Personal habits aside, he could pass as respectable. Zev is invited into the Kurlander home and the two men, John the Sheriff and Zev begin talking about what they have in common.

He finally gets around to asking John about the war which is when the scene turns ugly. It appears John has inherited his father’s hate trait and finding that Zev is Jewish he begins a spewing Jewish hate rhetoric.

As this is the most extended scene in the hunt for Rudy Kurlander it becomes increasingly violent. John unleashes Eva and for the first time we see a man who fires the 9mm Glock, he has been carrying since he purchased the gun in Cleveland, with precision. Stunned John pulls his weapon and without thinking Zev, with authority, points and shoots.

Zev retains the sympathy of the audience throughout this scene. We know him as someone who has suffered greatly. The holocaust is not spoken of in depth, it is remembered in stoic strength. And we don’t care if the SS, every last one, meets the same end as Max Rosenberg has so meticulously planned.

Zev walks away from Sheriff Kurlander and as it wasn’t the home of the barrack guard he continues. Finally, he arrives at the final name on the list. Bringing together the past, present and future is a cataclysmic storm and as we’ve seen Zev in action, we know he doesn’t hesitate to fire the Glock.

The final name brings us to a beautiful Lake Tahoe home.  The family, daughter played by Jane Spidell and granddaughter Inge, played by Stefani Kimber the home of Rudy Kurlander #4, played by Jurgen Prochnow is warm and welcoming. 

The shocking conclusion of Remember is gripping, stunning, unexpected and enthralling. You won't want to miss a single word. It is beyond expectation. See it for the acting, the story for an understanding the lengths revenge travels, and finally understanding that years, time, holds no restraint to a heart motivated for truth.

The cinematography is worth mentioning. The film is shot in Canada and the North Western United States, including Idaho and Lake Tahoe and includes some of the most idyllic imagery in the world.  

The script includes aspects of Nazi Germany some do not know. In addition to Jews, in order to build a perfect race, Hitler also put to death those who at the time were considered termites of society, those who would rot the foundation of a perfect race. 

I can’t say enough about the riveting ending. Suspenseful from the beginning on so many levels, Remember is mesmerizing. Without knowing what to expect it is so much better than expected.

Remember is playing at theaters everywhere. Check local listings. Remember will also be released across most streaming platforms and on DVD/Home Entertainment.

Image courtesy of A24 and used with permission.