Review of Before I Go to Sleep (2014) by Brett C — 18 Oct 2014

Review In A Nutshell:

I wanted to enter Before I Go to Sleep with a fresh mind, therefore I did not view any trailers or read any synopsis, but I did however check the current general reception or consensus before seeing it; the results hovered around the average/decent zone which for me means unmemorable. Nevertheless, I came into it with hope and maybe I would be the outlier praising this film to bits; sadly that is not the case. Before I Go to Sleep is certainly an average thriller that provides enough twists and intrigue to make you want to finish it and to not completely hate it once itâ??s done, but it does however fail to add that extra directorial flavour that would make it more than what it is actually worth.

The aspect that stuck on my mind after the film was over was how much this film or how much the director praises Alfred Hitchcock. Right from the get-go, we are given a very familiar shot from Hitchcock's Psycho and as the film progress, especially during the final moments of its second act, creates a Hitchcockian atmosphere that only delivers just enough tension to keep the audiences superficially engaged, but lacks the depth for any lateral thought. Hitchcock is the master of thriller and suspense, regardless how I feel about his entire filmography, and the reason this is so is his ability to add a sense of depth to his characters and atmosphere, like as if we are watching more than what the story suggests. Before I Go to Sleep does have you change your perspective of its characters once in a while, but none of it hits with substantial amount like the way a Hitchcock film, or even Fincher's recent release Gone Girl; which repeatedly plays with our perceptions and reveal the realities behind the facades.

The film's concept is similar to Christopher Nolan's Memento, where the protagonist is suffering from memory issues, but in this film the protagonist have a much longer period of time to take in information before it erases itself when she sleeps. She also uses a memento to keep herself collected memories and emotions intact, similar to Lenny on Memento. Both films attempt to achieve the same thing which is to create intrigue of the mystery, hoping to hook us in closer as the film reveals more of the character's past and purpose, but Before I Go to Sleep fails to grab my curiosity. It never seems to bring anything unique to the story, but it does manage to create enough shock in its twists that I was left stunned at the time; the twists however do not last with me after it passes.

I honestly thought this film was going to not win in the screenplay department, but in regards to its acting performances, it would be outstanding. Sadly, the central cast provided serviceable performances; which is sad because the last films that I have seen from these actors/actresses were great.

Before I Go to Sleep is a thriller film that loses its power once it exposes its secrets. I suggest seeing this if there is nothing else better on.