De zaak Alzheimer

"The Memory of a Killer (De Zaak Alzheimer)" is a sophisticated synthesis of several genres into a stylish thriller. There's the opening shots of a steam engine, saluting European film noir contrasting with the sharp sunlight of corrupt Marseille; the Georges Simenon-like police investigation contemporized with gritty Brit mystery crimes and the hunky bantering buddy cops where one is a wild rule-breaker and his boss is an Eliot Ness straight arrow; the samurai code of honor; the Western where the old gunslinger takes on one last conflict, like "The Unforgiven" and already adapted to "Man on the Train (L'Homme du Train)"; a revenge showdown, like the recent "Four Brothers"; the memory stream of consciousness tricks of "Memento" and the snappy editing of Hong Kong crime thrillers like "Infernal Affairs (Wu jian dao)." And we even get a "The Sopranos"-like psychological profile of a hit man.

While director Erik Van Looy smoothly integrates all these elements together in adapting what must have been a complex novel, this is terrific, intelligent popular entertainment and only its subtitles keep it in limited release in the U.S. in art houses. Too bad a Hollywood adaptation is inevitable.

The film has an exciting dual structure of following the cops and the criminal as they get intertwined and chase each other, as each sorts out vengeance and some justice (with surprising collateral damage) ever higher up the responsibility ladder so that our sympathies, and theirs, are compromised. While we atypically don't see anything of the cops' personal lives (except with an amusing visual twist that it's the guy in the shower), we do get thrust into their quite believable bureaucratic and legal wranglings, which, while a bit confusing for an American audience, can be inferred to be similar to the jurisdictional conflicts between local police departments and the FBI that we've seen in plenty of movies and TV shows. The English subtitles seem pretty good at communicating the localisms, though some of the cultural conflict in Belgium between French and Flemish speakers is lost, particularly when it is significant which language is being spoken.

The twist that is given away in the original title of the film, translated as "The Alzheimer Affair," is that the highly intelligent and perceptive criminal, the charismatic Jan Decleir, realizes he is losing his memory, and sees his near future clearly in his hospitalized brother. We get inside his head as he is trying to out race not only the cops, his traitorous client and duplicitous boss, but himself, so that his taunt of "too slow" takes on a double meaning. His professionalism takes over even when the flashy cinematography indicates he doesn't quite remember what he's done.

While the body count is high, the violence is one on one and is not gratuitous. Each death ratchets up the tensions and complications as what at first seems street level crime has cynical political implications. Much of the film takes place in the dark, like "Collateral," and while there's a fair amount of sudden coming up from behind scares, that's usually the start of a suspenseful scene where cat and mouse decisions ricochet off in surprising ways.

The music very effectively supports the action, particularly when the story continues in an unexpected direction, though the choice of a Starsailor song over the credits didn't seem to fit.

It's a bit perplexing that "The Beat That My Heart Skipped (De Battre mon coeur s'est arrete)" is getting wider distribution (probably because it's a remake of an American film and has a young hunk at the center), when this is the better European crime thriller of the summer.

This Belgian film was titled "The Memory of A Killer" when it played in Austin in September. Known in Europe as "The Alzheimer Case," it's a police procedural about an aging hit man with early Alzheimer's who agrees to complete what he knows is his last assignment. Movies featuring a character with Alzheimer's are often somber, bittersweet weepers. "The Memory of a Killer" is nothing like that.

It's a taut, fast-paced noir with a protagonist who lives by the same code as that of Alain Delon in Jean Pierre Melville's "Le Samourai" or Jean Gabin in "Touchez Pas Au Grisbi." The hit man Angelo Ledda is portrayed by Belgian actor Jan Decleir. He won his country's top acting award and other European festival honors for his nuanced, empathic performance.

How Ledda knows what's happening to his mind is explained in a way totally credible to anyone who has known someone suffering from this disease. Even as his mind slips away, he retains his morality about certain crimes and that code eventually sends him in directions that surprise and anger his employer. Ledda's crimes and related crimes drive two police investigators - and Ledda - in a race against time. The plot threads become as tangled and mysterious as the tangles in Ledda's diseased mind and unravel in a stunning conclusion.

This film was made by Belgian director Erik Van Looy, whose stylish work won top honors along with Decleir. The film is based on the novel "De Zaak Alzheimer" by popular Belgian detective novelist Jef Geeraerts. Hopefully, it and his other novels will be translated into English. Geeraerts' psychological approach evokes another Belgian writer, the incomparable Georges Simenon. This is the first of Geeraerts' stories to reach the big screen, and Hollywood has bought the rights to a remake. Don't wait; see the original. Decleir's portrayal should not be missed.

Having just watched Liam Neeson as the assassin with Alzheimer's and a conscince, I took a shot at the film upon it was based. The orignal is similar as far as the basic story goes but has a few differences, including a vastly different ending.

Jan Declair is excellent as the killer although Liam has more of a screen presence in the American movie.

The hitman is hired to off a series of bad men involved in a prostitution ring. Some of those involved are at the highest levels of society and corruption is rampant within the legal system.

The killer makes a decision not to kill a twelve year-old girl he has ben paid to hit.

The action is almost constant and I recommend both films.

I bought this DVD without any reference, and for my surprise it is an excellent thriller. The theme about children prostitution is very well exposed, the beginning of the movie is very impressive, and the actress Lauren Van de Broeck that plays Bieke Cuypers really looks like a little Lolita. The story of an old hit man that has a code of honor and does not accept the job of killing a teenager, turning against the powerful men that hired him, is magnificently disclosed, in a right pace and with stunning performances. The emphatic character of Angelo Ledda is played by the unknown actor Jan Decleir, and I was really impressed with his acting. I have just seen in IMDb that "De Zaak Alzheimer" won seven prizes and three nominations in European Festivals and this movie certainly deserved these awards. The character of Baron Gustave De Haeck , living in a swamp of corruption and children prostitution, would certainly not adapt living in the jungle, as mentioned in the story. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Alzheimer Case"

I was surprised to read several negative comments on this site about "De Zaak Alzheimer". Some people seem to think that the movie wasn't worth the hype, but I disagree with this. I think this is the best Belgian cop thriller ever made. The story (based on the novel of Jef Geeraerts) is brilliantly written and the cast is outstanding. Our best Belgian actors give top performances. Jan Decleir, Koen De Bouw, Werner De Smedt and Jo De Meyere are wonderful.

When I would see an American movie who is similar to "De Zaak Alzheimer", I'd probably give it 8/10. What so special about "De Zaak Alzheimer"? It is a Belgian production, made with a limited budget and a cast and crew who doesn't have that much experience in making cop thrillers in an American style. So I'm convinced the movie is really worth the hype. Also that fact that the movie was nominated and won several awards in other countries, proves Erik Van Looy really made a good impression with his movie. I also heard they're negotiating for an American adaptation of the book, what also proves the value of the movie and the book.

A sequel? No, not a sequel but an adaptation of another book of Jef Geeraerts would be suitable. Erik Van Looy is also planning on doing this, but I read it is possible we will have to wait several years for this adaptation because the expectations will be high and Van Looy of course doesn't want to disappoint the audience.

To conclude my comment I can only repeat the fact that "De Zaak Alzheimer" is a great movie and I can't hardly wait to see the American adaptation (they talked about Morgan Freeman for one of the leading roles) and the next adaptation of a Jef Geeraerts-novel by Erik Van Looy.

9/10