The Alzheimer Affair

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The Alzheimer Affair

R

2003

2h 3m

Mystery & Thriller

Action

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

84%

Tomatometer

67 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Ledda (Jan Decleir), an aging mob hit man, learns he has Alzheimer's disease and agrees to one last job. The intended victim, though, turns out to be a 12-year-old girl (Laurien Van den Broeck), and Ledda refuses to kill her. As a result, his boss (Gene Bervoets) puts a price on his head. Meanwhile, two police officers (Koen De Bouw, Werner De Smedt) have connected Ledda to a string of murders. To get revenge against his former boss, Ledda must battle the police and his own failing memory.

Critics Consensus

Even though The Memory of a Killer is standard genre fare, it is also engaging and stylish.

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Richard Nilsen

Arizona Republic

12/24/2005

4/5

It is distinguished by the intelligence of its plotting and the fullness of its characterizations: These are believable people, not merely plot fodder.

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Carrie Rickey

Philadelphia Inquirer

09/29/2005

3.5/4

A jaw-dropping premise so smartly executed that if this movie weren't in Flemish I'd swear that Michael Mann had directed it.

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Richard Roeper

Ebert & Roeper

09/26/2005

Close, but not quite.

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

09/17/2020

7/10

It is a dark, violent and intriguing thriller that employs the parameters of the police film in a very effective way. [Full review in Spanish]

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

04/12/2007

B-

The moral dilemmas raised by the assassin and Mr. Decleir's fierce performance are what make the stylish straightforward policier somewhat memorable.

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Lewis Beale

Film Journal International

03/01/2007

Not only as good as any American thriller of the past several years, but boasts a totally unique premise.

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glamlinks T

@RT89462116 09/27/2024

watch full amazing movie online on https://glamcinema.com/

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dave s

@RT68722908 11/19/2021

Despite borrowing some ideas from Christopher Nolan's Memento, released a few years earlier, The Memory of a Killer remains a taut and engaging thriller. An aging assassin, suffering from Alzheimer's, puts his principles ahead of his obligations when he is unable to complete a hit due to the fact that his target is a twelve-year old girl. What follows is a complex story of corruption, child prostitution and bureaucratic power. To its detriment, the stylistic excesses often become a distraction and are, more often than not, unnecessary, but the interesting plot and intriguing lead character more than compensate for any shortcomings.

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02/28/2017

An aging hitman with Alzheimer's refuses to kill a 12 year old child prostitute, and incurs the wrath of his bosses. But when he fights back, he drags a power duo of detectives with him, for a dragged out and complex story. The movie doesn't do well in the pacing department, its slow and not as tight as it could have been, but it has a good plot. its very similar to the Dragon Tattoo stories, like a dark underworld on top of a nice and clean city. There are some nice moments, but ultimately its kind of a forgettable affair. I only watched this because an action movie list put this on there so I checked it out.

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08/01/2015

A hitman who has Alzheimers... really human film, very cool.

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07/10/2014

Director Erik Van Looy delivers a smart, sophisticated crime thriller with the style and poise of a great master of filmmaking!

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09/18/2013

Overrated movie but still a move with good acting performances that was quit new for Flemish cinema.

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Erik Van Looy

Director

Jan Decleir

Angelo Ledda

Koen De Bouw

Eric Vincke

Werner De Smedt

Freddy Verstuyft

Gene Bervoets

Seynaeve

Jo de Meyere

Baron Gustave De Haeck

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Synopsis

Ledda (Jan Decleir), an aging mob hit man, learns he has Alzheimer's disease and agrees to one last job. The intended victim, though, turns out to be a 12-year-old girl (Laurien Van den Broeck), and Ledda refuses to kill her. As a result, his boss (Gene Bervoets) puts a price on his head. Meanwhile, two police officers (Koen De Bouw, Werner De Smedt) have connected Ledda to a string of murders. To get revenge against his former boss, Ledda must battle the police and his own failing memory.

Director: Erik Van Looy
Producer: Hilde De Laere, Erwin Provoost
Screenwriter: Carl Joos
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: MMG Film & TV Production
Rating: R (Violence|Sexuality|Nudity)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Action, Crime, Drama
Original Language: Dutch
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 7, 2003, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Aug 26, 2005
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 27, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $332.0K
Runtime: 2h 3m

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