Review of Justice Is Mind (2013) by Jamie H — 14 Oct 2014

For his first foray into the world of feature length movie making Mark Lund was incredibly ambitious with Justice Is Mind. But it's an ambition that has thankfully paid dividends with this hard hitting science-fiction drama. The film premiered last August but its International premiere is due to take place on the ocean liner, Queen Elizabeth, on October 29, 2014.

The premise of Justice is Mind is a very intriguing one to say the least. The film is set in a future where MRI scans have evolved into a machine that can actually read a persons mind. Thankfully the film manages to combine this interesting but unusual premise with a very thought provoking psychological underlining that it all feels perfectly well formed.

Henri Miller (Vernon Aldershoff) takes on the role of a rather successful businessman and family man. However, he suffers from frequent headaches which and family man whose recurring headaches result in him undergoing an MRI like scan which is actually able to read and view his past memories and experiences. Rather than discovering the cause of the headaches the scan reveals a short memory clip which appears to show Miller murdering two people. There is no physical evidence linking Mr Miller to this murder and the man himself has no recollection of ever committing it. And yet the evidence provided by his own memory is enough to set up a murder trial.

That's as much about the plot as I'm going to give away, mostly because I recommend checking it out for yourself.

The film itself is really very good. It starts off at a little bit of a plodding pace but soon picks up. The greatest strength Justice is Mind has is in making you think, wonder and maybe even challenge your preconceptions. The film tackles a ride range of issues, from the problems of increased government surveillance to the rise of more advanced technologies. Some of the films intentions are hit and miss but for the most part they are wonderfully thought provoking.

As I said before the film does start off quite slowly, but once it hits the court room stage it gets into high gear and never once looks back. The legal trial is incredibly solid, very well constructed and perfectly executed. The lawyers battle out in convincing fashion and the film does a great job at amping up the drama and excitement alongside the philosophical debates raging along in the background.

Justice is Mind is impressive, it is an intelligent film that addresses multiple issues, challenges the viewer and really tries to create something different, and despite a few stilted lines, a whimsical ending and some flat acting it achieves that brilliantly. Justice is Mind is a great film, but considering that it is Lund's first feature film it's really quite remarkable. I cannot wait to see what he can come out with next.