The Alzheimer Affair

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The Alzheimer Affair

R

Released Oct 7, 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

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

Rated: 4/5

Dec 24, 2005

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Carrie Rickey

Philadelphia Inquirer

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

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 29, 2005

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Richard Roeper

Ebert & Roeper

Close, but not quite.

Sep 26, 2005

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

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]

Rated: 7/10

Sep 17, 2020

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

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

Rated: B-

Apr 12, 2007

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Lewis Beale

Film Journal International

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

Mar 1, 2007

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Audience Member

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

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/27/24

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dave s

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.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

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.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

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Audience Member

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

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

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Audience Member

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

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

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

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

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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