Review: Memories is an average thriller

Paresh C Palicha says Prithviraj does his best to look sincere and real in Memories which is otherwise an average story.

How far can cinematic licence go? That’s the question that haunts you after watching the Prithviraj starrer Memories, directed by Jeethu Joseph. It is supposed to be a suspense thriller, where the leading man is an alcoholic who is investigating a psychopathic killer.

Sam Alex (Prithviraj) was a diligent police officer who had to sacrifice his wife and little daughter in the line of duty. As a consequence he has hit the bottle with a vengeance to get over the tragedy. He has money and so can remain absent from work for long periods.

His mentor and father figure, played by Vijayraghavan, requests him to investigate a bewildering case of serial killing, expecting that it may bring Sam's life back on track. Sam accepts the assignment reluctantly and on the condition that he will not be stopped from drinking.

What follows borders on childishness,

to say the least. Sam proceeds to piece together the mysterious tale of the deranged killer as if alcohol is giving him a sharper sixth sense. Some of the theories propounded by Sam are unintentionally funny. There are gaping holes in the plot, that make one wonder whether the director has lapsed, or the editor has pruned something vital in an attempt to make the film tighter.

Jeethu Joseph’s writing has numerous loose ends and does not give convincing answers to the questions raised at various points in the story.

Prithviraj does his best to look sincere and real, but his performance takes us back to Antony Moses of, the character he played in Mumbai Police that released just a few months back.

Meghna Raj, who plays Sam’s wife, and Mia Gorge who plays a journalist, have nothing much to do. Suresh Krishna as Sam’s jealous colleague has only to look grumpy all the time, which he does efficiently enough.

Memories is an average thriller.

Rediff Rating: