Memoria, the new film from one of the most interesting directors currently working, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, was one of my most anticipated films of the year. Here, the Thai director teams up with Tilda Swinton to tell a dramatic soul-searching story set in Colombia. Memoria is a film that focuses more on emotional feeling rather than linear storytelling, and it's very difficult to explain or summarize plot-wise. The film is something that needs to be experienced rather than understood.

While this film does feel mystical in nature, it also feels lackluster and bland. Most of Weerasethakul’s other works have been emotional journeys that connect you with themes of love, passion, and life. However, Memoria tries to create its own connective feeling but along the way forgets to add depth to its characters and story. The characters in particular are an issue as they feel lifeless and hollow. The writing is done well enough to distract one from the brick walls that are the characters, but it spends too much time focusing on their emotions and motivations without giving them any real personality, which creates a disconnect with the story. The story is also difficult to connect with and is incredibly inaccessible.

From a technical standpoint, however, Memoria is superb. The sound design is amazing (and unfortunately overlooked by the Academy as it didn't even make the shortlist), the cinematography is beautiful, the lead performance from Tilda Swinton is phenomenal, and the directing from Weerasethakul is fairly good. Sadly, the script and story can't live up to the amazing technical aspects of the film.

Overall, Memoria is a decent entry into Weerasethakul’s filmography that would benefit from a more cohesive story and interesting, well-written characters. Its technical aspects astound, but the film is too inaccessible and confusing to connect with.

6/10