Author S. J. Watson struck gold with his debut novel Before I Go to Sleep, a psychological thriller about a woman suffering from amnesia, writes Christina Powley.
Before I Go to Sleep
Director: Rowan Joffe
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Anne-Marie Duff, Dean-Charles Chapman, Adam Levy
Rating: (M)
Four and ahalf stars (out of five)
Having read the book, I was worried I would be disappointed by the film version, but this is a thriller that has the power to unnerve you even when you know what is coming.
Every day Christine (Kidman) wakes up with no memory of the previous 20 years.
Each morning her loving husband Ben (Firth) eases her fears before leaving for work and she spends the rest of the day struggling to remember something, anything.
One morning the phone rings and a voice on the other end identifies itself as Dr Mike Nash (Strong).
He has been treating Christine for her memory loss and part of the treatment is for her to record her findings of each day on a camera which she has been hiding from Ben.
Every morning Dr Nash phones Christine and tells her where she has hidden the camera.
Each day she learns a little more about the events in her life.
Each day leaves her more confused.
The facts seem to slip and slide.
Can she trust Ben?
Can she trust the doctor?
Every time she thinks she has a handle on events, a new interpretation throws her back into confusion.
This is a tight three-header storyline that leaves you as confused as Christine until almost the end.
Best thing: Kidman's normal reserve translates into Christine's amnesiac mistrust, making this her most sympathetic role in a long time.
Worst thing: The concept is clever and the film sells it to you but not quite enough, though that is part of the pleasure debating the 'but how comes' afterwards.
See it with: People you know that you know.
