The Alzheimer Affair

R

Released Oct 7, 2003

2h 3m

Mystery & Thriller

Action

Crime

Drama

List

84%

Tomatometer

67 Reviews

80%

Audience Score

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.

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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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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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

Full Review

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

Full Review

Audience Member

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

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

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

Audience Member

In the Swamp of Corruption and Children Prostitution--Noirish police story as twisted as the killer's mind!!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

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