Directed and written by Martin Koolhoven, AmnesiA is the story of two A's: Alex and Aram (both played by Fedja van Huêt) and their attempts at reconnecting as they attempt to care for their elderly, dying, constantly drunk and frequently hilarious mother (Sacha Bulthuis). That sounds like anything but something I'd usually want to watch, except that there's also the suicide of their father which has been a point of secrecy and contention for years, as well as the constant power games that Alex unleashes on Aram, including turning his girlfriend Sandra (Carice van Houten) against him. Oh yeah. She's also a pyromaniac who just appeared in his car one day.
At the same time, Aram has come back to the family home with Wouter (Theo Maassen), a friend who had a crime go wrong and is dying from a bullet to the stomach. This will not help Alex, who can no longer take photographs, as every time he focuses on a subject, he sees the face of a woman who utterly upsets him. One brother is at war with everyone; the other just wants to hide inside himself. There's no way they can agree, get along or make it through life without great tragedy.
Also: This movie has a lot of female urination to the point that you wonder if it's some kind of symbolic thing or it's a Tarantino feet moment.
That said, this is a dark and surreal journey into long-kept family secrets, including a murder in addition to that suicide, and a movie that was meant to be a black comedy, which was lost on audiences, according to the director. Not everything is explained and yet filling in those holes makes this an even more intriguing watch.
Also: Aram's car has the license plate 28IF, just like Paul's on the cover of Abbey Road. He's also barefoot for most of the film, so if I follow the logic that I learned through record album conspiracy theories, he's already dead.
At the same time, Aram has come back to the family home with Wouter (Theo Maassen), a friend who had a crime go wrong and is dying from a bullet to the stomach. This will not help Alex, who can no longer take photographs, as every time he focuses on a subject, he sees the face of a woman who utterly upsets him. One brother is at war with everyone; the other just wants to hide inside himself. There's no way they can agree, get along or make it through life without great tragedy.
Also: This movie has a lot of female urination to the point that you wonder if it's some kind of symbolic thing or it's a Tarantino feet moment.
That said, this is a dark and surreal journey into long-kept family secrets, including a murder in addition to that suicide, and a movie that was meant to be a black comedy, which was lost on audiences, according to the director. Not everything is explained and yet filling in those holes makes this an even more intriguing watch.
Also: Aram's car has the license plate 28IF, just like Paul's on the cover of Abbey Road. He's also barefoot for most of the film, so if I follow the logic that I learned through record album conspiracy theories, he's already dead.