Reminiscence
Friday night’s movie fix courtesy of Netflix by mail was melancholy sci-fi, Reminiscence (2021). The story is non-linear and requires strict attention and suspension of disbelief. It is set in the future in Miami. Guess what? Much of the city is underwater due to the effects of global warming, and people stay indoors during the day due to the intense heat. Land barons have bought up areas not underwater. The focus of the narrative is the capture of memories of happier times, aided by a device that not only enables but records them. Hugh Jackman stars as the operator, a former soldier whose assistant is an Army buddy, played by Thandiwe Newton. Their relationship is strained when a beautiful nightclub singer, played by Rebecca Ferguson, seeks help. Jackman’s character falls in love with her. Things are going great until she disappears without a word. He uses the device to scour his memory for clues. The plot is not easy to follow, at least it wasn’t for me, and the dialogue often sounds like phrases from self help books. There are two classical references, the Rogers and Hart pop standard Where or When, and Orpheus and Eurydice of Greek mythology. The former fits a lot better than the latter. Running time is a few minutes short of two hours, the pace slow. The film was written and directed by Lisa Joy, her first big screen effort. She was one of the brains behind the TV version of Westworld, which shot 36 episodes, one of which she directed. 56,000+ users at IMDb have rated Reminiscence, forging to a consensus of 5.9 on a scale of ten. It did not do well at the box office, returning only $16 million against a budget of $54 million, a gap not likely to be closed by streaming and DVD sales and rentals. Its appeal is probably restricted to hardcore fans of the genre. Here are the leads in character:
Politics as usual, headline from nypost.com: “Hunter Biden’s former law firm received $10M in forgiven COVID loans while donating $1M to Dems.” And this: “Congress is shocked, shocked by the COVID fraud it created.” If only the usual suspects could be rounded up and jailed, Louie.
Interesting headline from newsmax.com: “‘MAGA’ Fund Outperforming Biden-Endorsed ESG Investments by Wide Margin.” I’m not surprised, even though I believe the left has won permanent victory in the battle for the future of the USA.
From NM: “Group: Clean Energy Sector Rife With Slavery; Governments Must Act.” According to the article by Michael Katz: “…there is growing concern about slave labor being used by the industry in mining and manufacturing in China, Africa and South America.” Imagine what alternatives will cost when workers are unionized.
Here are headlines about the animal kingdom from foxnews.com: “‘Reckless driver’ in parking lot that struck 2 cars turns out to be dog.” Name withheld.
And: “Oldest living land animal celebrates 190th birthday.” Meet Jonathan.
The floating book shop was rained out today.
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