The power of international filmmaking, like all cinema, is the power of perspective and the opportunity to learn about foreign cultures. In 2024 alone, audiences learned about the forced disappearance of Brazilian politician Rubens Paiva (I’m Still Here), a story of paranoia amid political unrest in Iran (The Seed of the Sacred Fig), and a tale of how a small group braved a cataclysmic storm (Flow).
However, it’s just as interesting to hear an international perspective on a shared life experience, much like in Jelle de Jonge’s Memory Lane (2024) and its protagonist’s struggle with dementia. The Netherlands’ submission for the Oscars’ Best International Feature has a firm grasp on the difficult challenges that come with the condition and the emotional toll it has on a long-standing relationship.
Regardless of the film’s strengths, Memory Lane suffers from being perfectly pedestrian in its plotting and humor, making for a predictable, well-intentioned dramedy about the pitfalls of losing a loved one before they’ve passed on.
The film follows Maartje (Leny Breederveld) and Jaap (Martin van Waardenberg), an elderly couple approaching 50 years of marriage together. Jaap has all but given up on expanding his horizons beyond his couch, while Maartje still has a lot of life left in her, despite her declining mental health.
After a dinner party with Jaap’s older brother Peter and his wife, Jaap and Maartje mention they’ve received a letter from an old friend from Spain, reminiscing about their friendship and encouraging them to visit.
Peter tells them to visit their once close friend, who doesn’t have much longer to live, but Jaap’s reluctance directly conflicts with Maartje’s free-spirited love for life. It’s a contrast that more than likely caused their attraction, but as they enter their remaining years, they couldn’t be any more different.
The pair mention Maartje’s recent lapses in memory and, not too long after, Jaap notices himself. Maartje goes missing at odd hours, performs tasks without reason, and finds herself forgetting little details that used to come immediately to her.
Through Jaap’s immense frustration, coupled with his inability to adapt at his age, the pair decide to make the trek to Spain to visit their friend, as well as rekindle old memories for potentially the last time.
Memory Lane’s plot falls in line with the throughlines of recent, similarly themed films of characters grappling with the effects of dementia, Alzheimer’s, aging, and existentialism, such as The Father (2020) and Vortex (2021). However, Memory Lane’s approach to the subject is more of a mix of laughs and sincere discussion.
The reality though is Memory Lane relies too often on its road trip tropes and a sense of humor too focused on how technologically out of touch our main characters are, resulting in a film that means well but can’t quite escape its clichés.
Unfortunately, the humor feeds into the predictable plot all too often and the expected beats it hits can be seen from a mile away. Once you’ve seen an elderly person finagle with modern technology, whether it’s a gas station pump, a new car, or a TV remote, you’ve seen it all, and much of the film’s runtime is devoted to this familiarity.
When the film steps out of its comfort zone, particularly in the last thirty minutes or so, and focuses its energy on Jaap coming to grips with his wife’s suspected condition, the film finds its voice.
For instance, well into their trip, Maartje hides in their hotel closet out of fear of some foreign entity caused by her dementia. Instead of berating Maartje for something out of her control, Jaap embraces the situation and pretends to fend off the “monster” in a fervently entertaining scene. Jaap goes so far as to smash a mirror with his hand to comfort his wife, showing his dedication to her safety and comfort.
Moments like this bubble to the surface in Memory Lane, but they’re sadly few and far between. If the film had taken more chances with its narrative and felt less tethered to its narrative archetype, it would have had a fighting chance of making a lasting impression.
It’s likely the average viewer will warm up to Memory Lane’s sentiments, but the film takes a road too often traveled to elicit a greater impact.
Review Courtesy of Landon Defever
This review was submitted for the Third International Feature Film Festival.
Feature Image Credit to Hazazah Pictures via Loud and Clear