Memory is a 2023 American drama film starring Jessica Chastain as Sylvia, a single mother and social worker grappling with her past, and Peter Sarsgaard as Saul, a man suffering from early onset dementia, in a story that intertwines their troubled lives following a high school reunion. The film is written and directed by Michel Franco. It also stars Merritt Wever, Brooke Timber, Elsie Fisher, Josh Charles and Jessica Harper.
The film was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, where it premiered on 8 September 2023. Sarsgaard won the Volpi Cup for Best Actor for his performance. It was released in limited theaters in the United States on December 22, 2023, before expanding wide on January 5, 2024.
Contents
Plot
Sylvia, a single mother, social worker, and recovering alcoholic, reluctantly attends a high school reunion with her younger sister Olivia. Sylvia is perturbed by a man who sits next to and smiles at her. She leaves the event and is followed home by the man, who waits outside in the rain.
In the morning, Sylvia finds him sleeping outside, wet, and barely responsive. She finds out his name is Saul and phones his brother, Isaac, to retrieve him. At Saul and Isaac's home she is offered an apology: Saul has early onset dementia, causing him to get disoriented and confused, and hindering his ability to recall or create memories.
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