Memories of Tomorrow

Amit Tripuraneni's debut feature, the intriguing mystery thriller Memories of Tomorrow featured at the New Zealand Asian FILM FESTIVAL AOTEAROA 2005. John (Richard Thompson) and Tanya (Rachel Gilchrist) are a happy couple who seem to have it all: he's a writer, she's an artist, and they have the idyllic home, cars, boat, and love each other deeply. The only problem is John can't remember his past: a secret which comes back to haunt them when a mysterious stranger, Roger (Ray Trickitt), arrives and drags Tanya back into a world she thought they had left behind. As their dream life rapidly goes haywire John and Tanya have to reprise latent skills as they fight to extricate themselves from a very confused and messy situation. Shot in and around Auckland on DOP Lance Wordsworth's digital Panasonic DVX100a most of the film uses existing locations and natural lighting and props in the Dogme 95 style adopted by filmmakers like Lars von Trier (Idioterne – The Idiots –1995) and rather than being paid everyone worked on equity which kept the budget to an incredibly low $15,000 and dollar for dollar Tripuraneni's privately funded debut feature is light years ahead of Geoff Murphy's Spooked. Tripuraneni has done an amazing job with limited resources and I strongly recommend Memories of Tomorrow.

Considering that most of the reviews I've read here so far glorify MOT because it was made with a low (no) budget, I thought I'd try to look at it from a different perspective.

Yes, yes, WOW look at the great effects, the great cinematography, the great editing etc etc & all with such a petite budget!!! From this, definitely a 10/10. But I guess that's what you get when you teach at a film school: easy access to equipment, production and keen hands.

Still, a film, no matter how pretty, no matter how well cut, fails to stand tall without the foundation of good storytelling. The storyline in MOT was predictable and rather dull: Bad person wants to forget his sins/past & to turn over a new leaf but past catches up with him with some dire consequences.

Nonetheless, the director attempts to spice up the story with the way he structures it. This makes it quite interesting overall but risks the viewer's engagement with the characters. The flat and one dimensional performances from the cast doesn't help either. Notwithstanding the characters of John and, sometimes, Tanya, the others were merely cut-outs from stereotypical characters.

Moolah or no moolah, MOT failed to engage me. The pretty pictures and pretty pictures only, made me into a lifeless observer and not the participant that I enjoy being when experiencing a film.

But yes, I'd be lying if I said that Amit didn't have any potential. Of course he does!!! However, at this stage it's like a George Lucas scenario where, coming from a post-production background, he seems only concerned with the polished and shiny surface of his product.

If he would take scriptwriting/storytelling as seriously as he does with the look of the film, then by golly, make way for the launch of a great director!

And this is something moolah cannot buy.

We went along to the premier of Memories of Tomorrow , not sure of what to expect. All we knew is that a foreign student from the South Seas School had made this much talked about movie on a relatively low (actually 'no') budget. We had no idea that it would be such a slickly presented fare, even more so given the fact that it was made by a relative newcomer to New Zealand. One would have thought, given the excellent dialog and the choice of locations, that Amit Tripuraneni, script writer and director,had been around for ages, whereas in truth he has probably only had a chance to put his student backpack down, before being 'summoned' upon this mission! It shows to each of us, the power of the much-clichéd but true adage , 'Where there is a will...' His success is an inspiration for all budding film makers. With the movie now hitting international markets, we are confident that this brilliant piece of work (and of course the young man behind it) will go places.

This was one of the films I was very eager to see at this year's Microcinema Film Festival in Chicago, and I was not disappointed at all.

Everything from the cinematography, to the directing, the acting, and editing was all near perfect, in my opinion. Amit proved that you can make a great film, with a great story, cinematography, and acting, on a shoestring budget.

I hope that more indie filmmakers take the time to make movies like this. If we get a good solid group of young directors and producers like Amit (and some others that were at the festival this year) I think that we can slowly prove that there is a market for independent films.

Overall, a very entertaining piece of cinema that I highly recommend viewing, it's a "MUST SEE" for everyone. Definitely one of my favorite films of the past few years.

I can't wait to see the next film from Amit. Keep em coming.

In Memories of Tomorrow, John (Richard Thompson) can't remember their past. His wife Tanya (Rachel Gilchrist), on the other hand, is desperately trying to forget. Together, they have forged a new life in New Zealand, leaving Britain, and their previous lives, behind. But four years later history is coming to get them – in John's nightmarish dreams; in the arrival of Roger (Ray Trickitt), a previous acquaintance of Tanya's; and in the inescapable chain of events that Roger's arrival sets off. It gives this film its title, and gives the tale its hook.

The relatively slow beginning gives the viewer time to understand the dynamic between the couple, and see how John's lack of memories is creating a dark undertow in their seemingly tranquil lifestyle. While it's not readily apparent what are dreams and what is reality (more from the filming perspective than the acting), the realisation that Tanya is keeping something from John becomes obvious to both him and the viewer.

The pace picks up a little when Roger arrives in Auckland, with covert pick-ups, hidden cameras, and espionage behind the scenes. And when Roger comes into contact with Tanya and John, the present begins to tangle with the past, creating disastrous results for everyone.

The end is no disappointment, with the main questions answered. But new questions are created and left open, allowing for the possibility of a return to the tale at a later date.

No one is going to mistake Memories of Tomorrow for a million-dollar film, but neither does it come across as an amateur effort. The main actors are credible and believable, with most extras also doing well. Given the breaks between filming (done primarily on weekends) and the constraints on locations and time, getting into character cannot have been easily done. Auckland locals will recognise Takapuna and Onehunga featured heavily, with Bethells Beach making appearances in some of the most sinister memories.