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There’s no such thing as retirement for an aging assassin. Even though Angelo Ledda (Jan Decleir) is suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer’s, he’s sent to Antwerp to do yet another job. The first victim on his list (which he’s written on his arm, so he won’t forget) is a top government official. The second victim, he discovers, is a 12-year-old girl named Biekie Cuypers (Laurien Van den Broeck), whose father was recently killed in a child-prostitution raid. Ledda refuses to kill the young girl—and he’s furious when his boss does the job anyway.
Now on the other side of the hit-list, Ledda begins hunting down the men responsible for the girl’s death, killing them one by one as he struggles with his failing memory.
Following Ledda’s trail is Chief Inspector Eric Vincke (Koen Du Bouw), who has a special interest in Biekie’s case. Vincke finds himself trying read Ledda’s clues to figure out how the girl connects to some of Belgium’s highest-ranking officials—because it’s the only way to stop Ledda before he kills again.
De Zaak Alzheimer (also known as The Memory of a Killer or The Alzheimer Case, depending on where in the world you live) was Belgium’s official entry for the 2005 Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. While it didn’t make the list of nominations (as Die Geschichte vom Weinenden Kamel—or The Story of the Weeping Camel—did), though, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth your time. There’s never a slow moment in this fast-paced action movie. From the moment the story begins to build until the final credits roll, it’ll keep you guessing. Though it’s a bit hard to follow at times—especially in the beginning, as you’re getting used to the subtitles and getting to know the characters—it’s well worth the effort. The cinematography is spectacular, and the story is engrossing. Delceir is fantastic as Ledda, the life-long criminal who’s struggling with both the morality of his job and his rapidly-deteriorating health—and his performance alone makes The Memory of a Killer worth seeing.
Though Hollywood has already purchased the remake rights, don’t think that you need to wait until you can watch The Memory of a Killer in English. Even my husband—who generally lets me watch foreign films by myself—enjoyed it. It’s a great guy movie—even if it’s not in English. So if you’re a guy who’s looking for something different—or if you’re a girl who’d like to ease your guy into watching foreign films—this is a great place to start.
