De Zaak Alzheimer is a decent crime thriller where "mandatory" elements (dead bodies, shootings, explosions, chases) are in place, but a serious mental illness of a bad guy provides interesting and distinct opportunities to move beyond a trivial cat-and-mouse play. Moreover, flashbacks and retrospects are not annoying/over-exploited, but just in the right place at the right time. The ending is also multiple, not single. However, the inclusion of child abuse issue was probably undue as it is so sensitive issue in Belgium.The cast is rather strong, but not all the characters are elaborated, especially those of policemen. Thus, the catchiest was Jan Decleir as Angelo Ledda, whose making out in different circumstances was interesting to follow. Nevertheless, the film is a pleasant difference from Hollywood crime thrillers, with many nice similarities with Scandinavian ones. Recommended for a broader, different picture.

If, like me, you don't know what country "Flemish cinema" refers to, then read on. Yeah, I'm one of those dimwits like Joey on Friends when they tell him Dutch people live in the Netherlands, and he says "no, that's where Peter Pan came from." Suffice it to say this was the first Belgian film I've ever seen, and I was really impressed. It's stylish, polished, has a lush musical score, and features a lot of actors who seem really human. Even the minor roles were well played.I'm not usually a fan of crime thrillers, but this one drew me in with its interesting premise: a hero who's losing his memory. In that respect, reminded me of the excellent Tom Tykwer film "Winter Sleepers" (1997), except this film is driven by a faster, more action-oriented plot and pace.There's a lot going on here. Just when you think it's over, a new drama comes into the mix, making it unpredictable until the end. The director effectively used a lot of suspense tricks which will make you say "aha, you got me!" For example (though this was not used in this movie), a cat might jump out at the perfect moment to give your heart a little leap. In hindsight it's silly, but you can't deny it works. So bear in mind, this is definitely a movie for people who enjoy being taken for a ride. In the same vein, I think the director intentionally uses some standard clichés, almost in a playful way. If you approach this movie with the idea of having a fun time, you won't be disappointed.Final note: I think it helps to be a little familiar with Belgian culture, which I'm not. I could tell the characters switch languages between different variations of Dutch/Flemish, French, and snippets of English, and I think that's significant. Some of the settings are breathtaking, and I found myself saying "wow, that place is cool! I wonder where that is". In all, this is a film that Belgium can be very proud of, and I hope to see more like it in the future.

American thriller are often a reference in my own valuation of this movies genre.The performances, the rhythm and the editing of the action, the interest of the story and its solvency, the quality of the production, the music, are generally safe values in the American cinema and reach lesser levels in this kind of European movies, except some rare cases in the French or British cinema. But what a Belgian movie combines all these qualities up to a point above suspicion, is a surprising thing, and this film does it. I recommend this movie to all the amateurs of this genre. They won't be disappointed. This movie reaches the quality levels higher than heap others who were more conceited by counting with renowned actors and even more experimented directors. I am amazed that no American producer was interested to remake it in the U.S.A. with American actors, as they often do with the other European movies.

This movie runs like a bad Tony Scott movie. Sorry for the redundancy, but when I first heard about Memory of a Killer, I was expecting something riveting and genius. Instead I get a movie about two stereotypical detectives, both far too brash for their own good, which of course pays off in the end. The movie relies heavily on visual and audio effects for a lackluster dramatic payoff. When the killer experiences his Alzheimer's symptoms, the viewer get a fistful of green-tinted frames of him looking slightly disoriented. These little snippets do nothing to add to his condition when simple acting skill could've enhanced the emotional impact. Instead, I feel no emotions toward him or any of the other characters. The dialog has a few witty moments, and I'm being generous when I say "a few." A combination of bad writing and bad directing make this inherent mystery impossible to follow and far from compelling. If I wanted a good mystery, I probably should've watched an episode of Scooby Doo.