Today's random trivia

[tahnan]

This publication of the National Institute for Health offers an overview of the representation of amnesia in the movies, observing that it's generally dreadful. (For instance: "50 First Dates maintains a venerable movie tradition of portraying an amnesiac syndrome that bears no relation to any known neurological or psychiatric condition...Some viewers might envy Ms Barrymore's ability to forget her romantic encounters with Mr Sandler....") It contains all kinds of fun facts, like the fact that "predictable complications ensue when a doctor hires a new husband for an amnesic bride in an attempt to jog her memory" is the plot summary not of an upcoming Vince Vaughn/Liv Tyler romp, but a silent movie from 1915.

Now, for the random trivia: what three movies (all from this past decade) does the article single out as "honorable exceptions": movies in which amnesia is represented well? Note: one of them is a 2000 movie from Spain, so you'll be forgiven for not thinking of it, but the other two are quite well-known. (Answer here.)

Comments

[rubrick.livejournal.com]

I correctly guessed the first of the two, but the other one didn't even occur to me.

I'm especially glad to have learned of the existence of this film: "A different perspective is taken in the amusing parody The Bourne Identity Crisis (2003), when the lead character forgets that he is gay and thinks he is a trained assassin instead."

[jeffurrynpl.livejournal.com]

I haven't yet seen the second of the two well-known films; now it sounds a bit too tragic to watch.

[tahnan.livejournal.com]

Tragic? No, no, it's lovely. Delightful, really.

[dr_whom]

Hmm.... I'll guess Unknown White Male, Memento, and, I guess, Abre Los Ojos (not that I know what that's about, except that it's supposed to be some kind of existential Mind Screw).

...Okay, one out of three ain't bad. I guess Unknown White Male doesn't count because it's a documentary?

[marith.livejournal.com]

Hah, I guessed one of them (haven't seen the other yet).

[bookishfellow.livejournal.com]

The one that I guessed right was a film that I really disliked.

[tahnan.livejournal.com]

Aw, see, now, I loved both of them (in their own distinct ways). I'm a sucker for that kind of storytelling, though.