Review of Before I Go to Sleep (2014) by Spangle — 09 Apr 2017

Upon its release, Rowan Joffe's Before I Go to Sleep often received comparisons to Memento as that film was also a thriller that focused on an amnesiac trying to remember how he wound up the way he is and figure out who he can trust. However, I not like Memento, so I went into Before I Go to Sleep without comparing it to a film that I enjoy. As a result, I did quite like Before I Go to Sleep. It is undeniably cliched and introduces memories or random actions by Christine Lucas (Nicole Kidman) out of plot convenience that entirely contradict the fact that she cannot remember. The film also nosedives into melodrama at the very end with a tearjerking final sequence that may make you cry, but feels manipulative. That said, the film is just so tense. It is mysterious, thrilling, and laced with suspense as we live alongside Christine as she tries to figure out who attacked her and deals with emotions evoked by memories, all while trying to figure out who to trust.

Following a brutal attack, Christine Lucas remembers nothing. She believes she is in her 20s and wakes up everyday being informed about who she is, where she is, and what she does by her husband Ben (Colin Firth). After Ben leaves for work, Dr. Nasch (Mark Strong) calls her and reminds her to check for a camera in her wardrobe closet where she records a visual diary daily. He then proceeds to meet her during the day behind Ben's back, who does not want her to remember for fear of her getting upset. The film's tensions continue to rise as we are given cause to not trust both Ben and Dr. Nasch at various points before we come back and believe them again, only to then proceed to continue questioning if they are what they say they are. This is the source of Before I Go to Sleep's greatest amount of tension as this mystery and suspense that unfolds rivals something akin to a Hitchcock film with how it keeps you in the dark. With Christine's illness, we constantly must try and add two-and-two together with the limited details that she can add throughout the day. What compounds the mystery is the fact that both Firth and Strong are British and as Hollywood has taught me, never trust a Brit because they are all shifty. Yet, the film forces us to pick who to trust and it makes it all the more compelling as common sense says neither are wholly trustworthy.

Plot-wise, as mentioned, the film is pretty run-of-the-mill. This may be writer-director Rowan Joffe's fault as the film entirely relies upon the disease of its protagonist and then willingly breaks the rules it sets when convenient, particularly with regard to the reveal of who her attacker was. After initially stating that going to the site of the attack does not work, the film then goes and has the site of the attack bring back memories of it for Christine. That said, when the film threatens to just boil down into a pretty typical who can you trust thriller, it throws in a compelling twist that really breathes life into the film seamlessly. This final twist is really what saves Before I Go to Sleep from being a pretty tame thriller, as well as excellent lead performances from Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, and Mark Strong. Each actor turns in a shifty performance that really makes you begin to wonder their true intentions, only to then turn around and seem entirely trustworthy. Yet, we know somebody cannot be trusted. Is it Christine? Is her broken mind playing tricks on her even now? Is it Ben? Is he really just protecting her or is he hiding more? Is it Dr. Nasch? Is he really a doctor? Why does he now want Ben to find out about the treatment? For all of its cliches and narrative shortcomings, Before I Go to Sleep winds up still being a truly entertaining film that shows that a fun, twisty, and slick thriller that has echoes of Hitchcock (who would have directed the hell out of this) can still turn into a pretty good piece of cinema. While not exactly an artistic accomplishment and one that could have used a more capable of director, this one entertains and constantly keeps you an edge with a chilling premise, excellent acting, and eerie score.