Amnesia: The James Brighton Enigma Review

Amnesia: The James Brighton Enigma
Written By: Bertrand Lachance and Denis Langlois
Directed By: Denis Langlois
Starring: Dusan Dukic, Karyne Lemieux, Julian Casey, Patrice D'Aragon, and Steven Turpin


When Amnesia begins, it tells us it is a work of fiction based on a true story.

A story this engrossing simply has to be inspired in part by true events. It's simply riveting.

The story revolves around an American who wakes up naked in a parking lot in Montreal. All he recalls about his past is that his name is James Brighton and he is gay. What follows is an extremely captivating mystery as James struggles to find out who he really is and what caused him to lose his memory. At the same time, a young woman working on her doctorate in criminology is piecing together her own version of what occurred.

I won't go to deeply into the plot. There are some twists that I'd rather not spoil here. Basically, we see James create a new life as he struggles to come to terms with his memory loss.

It's a wonderfully written and directed film. Shot on video, the grittiness only adds to the atmosphere of the movie. It's both touching and suspenseful as the truth begins to come out and we find out what really happened, or at least may have happened.

The acting is top notch from everyone involved. Dusan Dukic is sublime as James. He really gives a perfect performance.

The film has one minor issue that was a bit hard to get used to. The characters switch between French and English, sometimes even repeating what they say in one language in the other. It's a bit jarring at first but after a bit you get used to it.

That is really the only complaint about this movie. It really is a beautifully executed film. The score is gorgeous, including the song Don't You Forget Me by Andrea Revel.

Amnesia: The James Brighton Enigma is a tightly woven mystery that satisfies as much as it leaves you wanting more. An Enigma to be sure.

This really is a must see film. You can pick it up on DVD from TLA Releasing or Amazon.com.

I highly reccomend you check it out.