Before I Go to Sleep is a psychological thriller following amnesiac Christine Lucas (Nicole Kidman). It is based on the novel of the same name by S.J. Watson (2011). Christine makes new memories throughout the day which she loses after sleep. Every morning she wakes up, Christine recalls nothing of her condition or what happened the previous day.
Her husband, Ben (Colin Firth), must remind Christine of their marriage and life together before the terrible accident which brought about her condition. Matters are further confused when Christine is contacted by Dr Nash (Mark Strong) a neuropsychologist who tells her he has been treating her for a number of weeks. Dr Nash has told Christine to keep their sessions a secret from her husband, Ben. Christine becomes paranoid when Dr Nash tells her the cause of her amnesia, a story which differs from what Ben has told her.
Directed by Rowan Joffe –who brought us the script of 28 Weeks Later– the movie conveys the trauma and bewilderment of Christine’s amnesia very well. However, the audience may find following the slow-moving repetitive life of an amnesiac tests their patience – more so in the first part of the film. Just like Christine, we are uncertain of who can be trusted and it seems that all male characters are called into question at some point or other. To add interest to the piece, Firth and Strong play roles one may not necessarily typecast them in, perhaps trying some of our preconceived notions of them as actors. Cast performances are on a whole quite strong and suspense is held beautifully by Joffe throughout the piece. Just as the audience may sympathise Ben, Christine is suspicious of him and warms towards Dr Nash, who the audience in turn may distrust.
One can really feel for Christine as she attempts to make sense of her life on a day-to-day basis, and Joffe and Kidman have executed this part of the film very well. We are in a sense immersed in the perplexity of her situation at each new plot twist. Kidman’s portrayal of the perturbed amnesiac is frosty and distant in all the right places and we get a real sense of Christine’s fragility.
This is Rowan Joffe’s forth film as a director, and he certainly has shown a great deal of potential at the helm in some of his work. Joffe’s most hard-hitting piece as a director is perhaps the Channel 4 movie Secret Life starring Matthew Macfadyen as a child sex offender.
One of the main weaknesses of Before I Go to Sleep is the horrifying revelation that comes near the end of the piece – you’ll know what I mean if you see it. A question that may come to mind is ‘how on earth could that ever happen?’, and it’s that sort of question that weakens the whole piece. You will more than likely find yourself balancing on the edge of your seat in fear at this point of the movie, but upon reflection you may find yourself doubting the film’s plausibility.
Like the novel, the movie has received some mixed reviews thus far, and you might consider holding out on a trip to the cinema for a more economical DVD rental at a later date. If you like a fright in the cinema, the film with certainly supply you with what you want –don’t forget that Joffe had a hand in the script of 28 Weeks Later after all! However, if you’re the type that likes to put a just watched thriller through a rigorous post-mortem, you may be disappointed by a few questionable details.
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