User Reviews

The premise of Before I Go to Sleep is quite a good one. A woman wakes up each day with no memory beyond her early twenties; soon she begins to realise that some dark secrets are being hidden from her. It's sort of in similar territory to Christopher Nolan's early neo-noir Memento (2000), which was also a mystery/thriller about a character with a short-term memory loss condition. Like that one, here one of the interesting angles is that the central character has no idea if their friends really are friends or actually enemies. It's true that several aspects of the storyline require you to stretch your belief somewhat; however, many thrillers are similar in this respect, so this wasn't such a deal-breaker for me. The problem I essentially had is that while the idea may be pretty intriguing, ultimately the pay-off is somewhat mediocre and conventional. Piece by piece the puzzle is slowly unravelled but it doesn't end up presenting us with a picture that is very inspired or interesting and you sort of ask yourself 'is that it?'

"Before I Go To Sleep" is an effective psychological thriller.

Nicole Kidman plays Christine Lucas, someone who if she saw "50 First Dates" wouldn't remember it the morning afterwards! She wakes as a forty-something 'housewife' in her suburban home every morning with Ben (Colin Firth) in bed next to her. However, she can remember little to nothing of the last twenty years.

She is being covertly helped on a pro-bono basis (with a trace of pro-boner thrown in) by UCL neuro-scientist Dr Nash (Mark Strong). Nash reveals that she ended up in this state after being severely beaten up and left for dead near a Heathrow hotel. He persuades her to maintain a video diary of the days' events and recollections, but he has to remind her where she's hidden the camera via phone every morning.

But Christine has a traumatic and terrifying past, remembered (and then immediately forgotten) in dreams, but which only very slowly starts to piece itself together during the waking hours. One character emerging from the mental mist is a long-time college friend Claire (James McAvoy's wife Anne-Marie Duff) who disappeared from her life under mysterious circumstances but is now 'found' again.

Will Christine piece together the jigsaw? What was she doing in the Heathrow hotel? Who beat her up and why? Where does Claire fit in? Can Mark Strong play anything other than a 'baddie'? So many questions, so little memory.

Produced by Ridley Scott and with Rowan Joffe ("28 Weeks Later") writing the screenplay and directing, the film is pleasingly set in and around a non-touristy London with some fine scenic shots - you can't really beat the view from the Royal Greenwich Observatory, and this nicely features in one scene. Nicole Kidman has a lot of acting to do in this role and she does it very well. Firth and Strong - two of my favourite actors - are both excellent and keep you guessing throughout. But of all of the acting roles I found Anne-Marie Duff particularly effective in the short-and-sweet role of Claire: a very powerful and touching performance.

It is tempting to describe any psycho-thriller as 'Hitchcockian', but there are moments where this film can certainly be tagged in this way. This is helped by a Bernard Herrmann-like score by Ed Shearmur, moody photography by Ben Davis and crisp editing by Melanie Oliver.

I enjoyed this film, but even with all of these positives it still felt more like a B-movie than an A-movie for reasons I can't quite sum up. In addition there were a few niggling plot points and, in my opinion, a slightly weak epilogue ending. Also note that, in a world where far too many women still face physical violence, there are flashback scenes in this film that some may find distressing, earning it its '15' UK certificate.

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I'd actually read the book before seeing this film so it was a question to ask ourselves: can we be bothered? In the event, it was worth it and I found that I was submerged in the film during the showing.

It's the sort of film that doesn't get made very much now in these days of big budgets, explosions, and cartoonish characterisations. But I'm glad it appears on the big rather than the small screen of TV because they brought in really good actors in the three leads. Particularly in the case of Nicole Kidman, she downplays her looks to come across as an ordinary woman approaching middle age, a brave choice for an actress.

The big surprise to me was Colin Firth who is way outside his normal range here and completely credible in the role. Mark Strong also is good in portraying a psychiatrist with empathy.

The film is very sombre but this is appropriate for the subject matter and really the director and cinematographer deserve a lot of credit for catching the uneasy tone of the book.

The reason I don't give it a rating higher than 7 is the unnecessary slasher scenes which could I think could have been done without so much blood and violence. Modern filmmakers should pay more attention to the work of someone like Hitchcock who suggested the gore rather than shoved your face in it. Still a mature film well worth seeing.

A muddled psychological thriller starring Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth. It's a basic copy of MEMENTO with Kidman playing an amnesic housewife who is unable to remember any of the recent events in her life when she wakes up each morning. Whoever wrote this material thought they were being clever but the truth is that BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP has more holes in it than Swiss cheese and the plot just doesn't hang together very well. These modern, outlandish conspiracy-type thrillers just don't seem very realistic or indeed believable when you look at them too closely.

Kidman has long been a least favourite actress of mine and continues that trend here with another cold fish, mannered performance no different from the rest of her recent career. Firth plays in support as the typically mild-mannered husband but his part feels a bit like miscasting and he looks and feels tired. Mark Strong is better but underutilised playing Kidman's psychiatrist. There are some mildly involving mystery elements early on but once you realise where this film's going it becomes increasingly ridiculous until the silly, sentimental ending.

In a very real way, our memories are who we are - our identities as individuals depend in an almost terrifying way upon our ability to remember what we do (and what we've done), why we do it, and whom we love. That's why the notion of memory-making (and losing) looms so very large in the art we create. In the cinematic realm alone, characters whose memories are sorely compromised have starred in thrillers (Memento), romantic comedies (50 First Dates) and weepies (The Notebook). Before I Go To Sleep, based on the novel by S.J. Watson, is a chilling if not entirely effective blend of family drama and thriller, trading on the heartache and horror that comes with losing oneself every single day.

Christine (Nicole Kidman) wakes up every morning with no memory of the last fifteen years of her life. Ben (Colin Firth), the stranger who shares her life and bed, informs her that he is her husband and that she lost her ability to make new memories after a bad car accident several years ago. Any attempt to forge lasting memories seems futile - and yet, Christine tries. She receives a phone call from Dr. Nasch (Mark Strong), a neurologist who assures her that they've been working to improve her condition. He reminds her that she's been keeping a video diary every day: one that, upon review, suggests that Ben is not telling her the whole truth about their shared life and history.

It's to writer-director Rowan Joffe's credit that he mostly manages to make a very personal - and inevitably repetitive - journey of discovery both cinematic and chilling. As Christine awakes each day with her memory reset, Joffe finds inventive and intriguing ways to ramp up the spinetingling alienation she feels from her own life and husband. He captures Christine's terror, doubt and paranoia in the shuddery footage she takes of herself while hidden away in the bathroom from a husband she doesn't recognise. As the wheels within the narrative spin and turn, Joffe's camera makes villains and heroes out of everybody: Ben, in particular, shifts from one to the other on an almost daily basis, as Christine doubts and then trusts the love this man must have for her to stay by her side for so many years.

Unfortunately, Joffe can't quite sustain the tension throughout - the film sags noticeably in parts, as Christine flounders miserably between very few choices. There are many twists, as she uncovers people and secrets in her past that will inevitably disappear from her grasp within a day, including a final doozy of a revelation. But Joffe winds up wasting much of this tension and intrigue with an oddly definitive ending. In a film filled with questions, doubts and uncertainties, it feels completely out of place and emotionally untrue.

Joffe's cast, at least, is unreservedly excellent. Kidman delivers her most fascinating performance in ages, one that's equal parts vulnerable and strong. Her Christine is very much a victim of her circumstances - and possibly her husband - but Kidman skilfully imbues her with a steely determination to reclaim her life and identity against very poor odds. Firth, too, is fantastic, shading both light and darkness into his trademark charm - enough to make us believe that he's the kind of man who could love and/or betray Christine with all of his heart.

It's a shame, then, that the final frames of the film don't live up to its promise or potential. Joffe has hit upon something truly unnerving with his premise: Christine's condition provides the ideal backdrop for either the perfect crime, or a love story for the ages. Before I Go To Sleep quite effectively teeters between the two extremes, as does Christine, but ultimately fails to follow through when the true depths of its darkness are revealed.

"Tonight as I sleep, my mind will erase everything I know today"; The simple yet satisfying plot-line of this movie as spelled out by our lead protagonist in the opening scene is enough to draw anyone into this wonderful thrill ride of a film. Such a story-line sees the aforementioned central character (played by Nicole Kidman) slowly put back together the extremely complex puzzle that is her memory of the last 14 years, lost after an 'accident' involving a mystery perpetrator.

The plot, although clearly ludicrous when heard, somehow works remarkably well when experienced on screen. This is primarily down to the breakneck pace of the movie, never allowing audience members to get bored or have enough time to ponder the numerous plot holes noticed after the final credits. Not that this matters of course, as BIGTS is a picture to be enjoyed in the moment and at surface level.

Another of the film's major assets is the brilliant performances from the central three characters. Kidman is back on form, exasperating any memory of a certain picture that occurred sometime in the previous 14 years; Firth is excellent also as Ben, with Strong matching him in equal measures on levels of sinister and downright frightening unpredictability. Not only is such fantastic acting a joy to watch, it is another factor in helping the plot-line to be accepted without question by audiences who might think twice if only they weren't having so much fun.

As entertaining as the picture is, this isn't groundbreaking original stuff here, nor is it something that is terribly deep in content. However if you want to spend 90 odd minutes utilizing only the first third of your seat, then you're in for a treat.

This is a truly ridiculous shock-horror film masquerading as a neo-noir thriller. It is based upon a storyline which is scientifically impossible. We are meant to believe that, having injured her head years before, Nicole Kidman wakes up every morning with amnesia. As she is told in the film: 'You build up a store of memories during the day but then it all disappears when you go to sleep, and you wake up in the morning thinking you are 20 years old with your whole life ahead of you.' There is no such case of fresh amnesia recurring every 24 hours in the entire annals of science or human history. It is all tosh. This film is so phoney and dishonest that it is positively offensive. It is a shallow exploitation film peddling horror and fear for money. It is based upon a novel by someone called S. J. Watson, who I suspect needs his head examined every morning when he wakes up to see if anything is there that makes more sense than this story. The screenplay and the direction are by Rowan Joffe, son of Roland. The film is in my opinion something to be deeply ashamed of, so not much credit there. I cannot comprehend how Colin Firth could lower himself to appear in such a ludicrous film, especially as he wears the same blank expression all the way through the film and no demands of any kind are made upon any of his acting talents. Maybe this was the easiest job he ever had. As for Nicole Kidman, I can understand the possible appeal of the film to her. If perhaps she might be one of those actresses who calculates the percentage of screen time which she can dominate in a film before accepting a role, then this would win every time, for the camera dwells on her so indulgently that a sizeable portion of the film consists of her delivering anguished monologues to the camera, while she glances nervously to right and to left to see if someone is coming who might overhear her. This camp hyping of the paranoia of the film merely makes it more laughable. I would have thought that American audiences are getting paranoia fatigue by now, what with snow blizzards that refuse to come to New York after all, ebola epidemics that just won't spread properly, and all the other 'We are all gonna die!' scenarios with which they are bombarded by the crazed media on a daily basis. But, if Americans don't get enough fear and terror from their news broadcasts, they can always turn to this piece of rubbish to give them an extra 'fix'. This film, with its psychopath, its violence, and its pseudo-psychology, joins THE COUNSELLOR (2014, see my review) in the pile of disgusting spit-outs rotting in the dank corner of the House of Revolting Cinema.

I agree with the reviewer who wrote that this was "three quarters of a very good film." The cast is marvelous. Kidman brings movie queen presence and guarded vulnerability to her role, as only she can. The icy, remote, sparse atmosphere of the film is noteworthy, but somehow creates a detachment from the raw emotions of the story. The plot unfolds in an efficient, generally satisfying manner. However, the film is sober, where it should have been flamboyant, and safe where it might have been edgy. In the end, I was wishing this had been filmed with panache, by a stylish and adventurous director. Atmosphere and character developments might have been richer and more complex. As it stands, it is a solid, classy, well-acted potboiler.

The plot of the film is similar to 50 First Dates, where a woman wakes up each morning forgetting everything that happened in her past after her accident that caused the amnesia. However, the film does a good job keeping the audience guessing who is real and who the true villain is until the very end. There were a few times that my jaw was on the ground, eyes were wide, I grasped the seat and stopped breathing when a new plot twist appeared. The trailers for this film do not do it justice. I was completely entertained and enjoyed the film.

There is only one sex scene, no nudity, but there are a few brutal violence scenes as well as some strong language in this film. I would not recommend this film for young viewers. The film is only 90 minutes, but it moves fast and new things are revealed throughout the film. I would not recommend leaving the film once it starts as you may miss a key scene.

Literally messing with your head, Nicole Kidman plays a woman who suffered Trauma to the head that makes her forget the past 15 years of her life when she falls asleep. She wakes up next to her husband, a man she does not know unforgettably played by Colin Firth, and as her doctor played by Mark Strong begins to help her deal with the illness things about her past begin to burst out like a kid taking out puzzle pieces and some how she has to put this puzzle together, even though when she wakes in the morning, the puzzle's messed up again. It's a strange mystery watching the protagonist solve the mystery that is her life. The whole thing would have come off one dimensional if it were not for Colin Firth's part as the emotionally distress husband who loves his wife but wants somethings to stay lost in her memory. It was an enjoyable ride watching the mystery unfold, definitely glad I saw it.

A badly scripted and directed mishmash in which Kidman, Firth and Strong act brilliantly but can't overcome the dreadful limitations of what's put before us. Suspension of disbelief just doesn't happen for this viewer. Can a chemistry teacher afford a house this plush (in London yet)? Who does the shopping, cooking, cleaning? How come over four years there's zero interaction with neighbours or any of the people one encounters daily in real life? In every scene I found myself thinking "hang on, but...". You just can't get away with this kind of situation as if the rest of the world doesn't exist. Striking example of the problem: the scene when Kidman goes to Firth's school. He's clearly truly a chemistry teacher there. Wouldn't the other staff (if not the kids, too) know the situation, with so many years gone by since the incident that left Kidman amnesic? Sorry: when things just don't wash, the hogwash sensation rears its head, and a thriller like this can't survive the hogwash sensation. The whole thing looks inappropriately sumptuous (fault of direction, sets and cinematography) and overall it just induces irritation instead of enthralment. The plot twists are crashingly predictable. Amnesia is strongly recommended for those who bother to watch this pedestrian film.

The talents of Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth are wasted in this abysmal, would-be thriller in which Kidman is asked not just to play an amnesiac, but an amnesiac who never improves (seems her mind 'erases' all thoughts of the previous day while she sleeps! Too bad she isn't an insomniac, too). Nicole is phoned every morning by sinister-seeming doctor Mark Strong to fetch a hidden video camera in her house, and to record that day's events for future reference--but is instructed not to tell her husband about it! Once sinister-seeming spouse Firth learns about the camera, he explodes. One is apt to give up on the movie several times out of sheer exhaustion, yet it's a coldly well-produced effort with staccato flashbacks to a bloody crime that make it absorbing. However, none of the plot-holes are really filled in by the finale, which is excruciatingly soft and stupid. Hitchcock could have done wonders with this scenario, but the filmmakers here are terribly literal and unimaginative, and overly fond of red herrings. At one point, Kidman gets a jolt when the car she's riding in swerves violently to avoid something in the road. It doesn't matter what that obstacle was; director Rowan Joffe just wants to keep the audience awake, but this is a lazy way to pad a flimsy narrative. *1/2 from ****

First of all, I haven't read the novel of the same name, but I can safely assume that it is by far the better choice to experience this story.

Our heroine played by Nicole Kidman is an amnesiac surrounded by a handful of one-dimensional characters. As a result of the repeated memory loss it is impossible to tell any two days apart and a challenge to find out who to trust. The scenes of the movie are presented accordingly by jumping from day to day with few reference points in between, without appearing erratic or hectic. This presentation along with the underlying concept remains the movie's best feature.

The entire acting staff seems to be in it for the paycheck, while they certainly do their job competently there is nobody showcasing any further investment in the matter. Nicole Kidman in particular manages to stand out negatively by acting like a pouting child in numerous scenes and never being at least reasonably convincing like Colin Firth. In addition to the minimal investment in the characters the movie manages to build up only little tension towards its anti-climatic revelation.

The conclusion is simple - Before I Go to Sleep is a very unmemorable and vapid movie that I wouldn't recommend to anyone.

The film opens with a woman, played by Nicole Kidman, waking up in bed with a man. She seems disconcerted and confused. Entering the bathroom, she encounters photos of the two of them. Leaving the bathroom, she sees the man, played by Colin Firth, who is now sitting on the bed. He tells her that they are married but that she had an accident, and that she can no longer retain memories more than a day. Mr Firth then goes off to work, and Miss Kidman is then phoned by a man, played by Mark Strong, who says he is her doctor, helping her to get her memory back. He instructs her to find a hidden camera, which she does, and finds that she has filmed herself, to leave messages to herself.

These are the opening scenes of the film which are also in the trailers too. Thus the film looked exciting and worth going to see. Which it is. The source material for the film is a 2011 novel by SJ Watson. This debut novel may be applauded, as may the film, however both are really not that original.

It may be recalled that in 'Total Recall' (1990), a humble construction-worker, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, has a wife, played by Sharon Stone. A little bored, Mr Schwarzenegger goes on a mental holiday as a secret-agent, only to find that he really is a secret-agent. He finds this out, when escaping the bad guys, he finds a film of himself, telling himself, that very thing.

It may also be remembered that in Memento (2000), Guy Pearce also played a guy with no memory. This memorable, and remarkable, film, starts at the end, and the whole story is told in reverse as Guy Pearce, helped by Joe Pantoliano, tries to find out who killed his wife, using tattoos to keep notes.

Thus, 'Before I Go To Sleep' is not based on an original idea, but rather the concept is very familiar to those who have seen 'Total Recall' and 'Memento'. However, this does not make this a bad film, far from it. Whilst not original, the film is a little different from the other two films. They were more action movies than this one, which concentrates on the relationships.

The acting is superb throughout the film. Miss Kidman captures the emotions perfectly. We have no doubt that each day she wakes up in a strange bed with a strange man. Mr Firth too, acts well as the loving husband who has to explain everything to her, every day. Perhaps of the two, Mr Firth has perhaps the more demanding role. He has to show both exasperation and love, and he conveys his range of emotions well. Miss Kidman has perhaps a slightly easier role to play, that of the innocent woman, not understanding, or knowing who to trust. The ever reliable Mark Strong, playing the doctor, also gives a very subtle and ambiguous performance.

Rowan Joffe is the Director, and also wrote the screenplay. He has done very well to get very emotional and realistic performances from his trio of central characters, as well as from the supporting cast. Mr Joffe maintains the emotion, mystery, and tension, throughout the film. At times, you could be forgiven for thinking, that you were watching a film by that master, Mr Alfred Hitchcock. Parts of the film can easily be compared so, stylistically. However there are also many emotional kitchen-sink-style domestic scenes, all captured well.

If you like adult-themed mysteries and thrillers which deal with relationships, as well as messing with the mind, then this is the film for you.

Good film. 9/10.

Overview: Clever, emotional, Kidman in her 40's is a totally different actress (hopefully she'll get a role that will become a classic).

If you've seen 50 First Dates and Momento then you will have this movie pretty much figured out in the first 15 minutes or so. However that said it still manages to leave you just as uncertain about what's going on along with Kidman's character until the reveal. Careful observation will give you the clues though. The plot is clever and as you'd expect Colin Firth acts superbly and Mark Strong is also very good as the Doctor. As for Nicole Kidman I must confess age has done her wonders, gone is that teenage look that may have prevented here being taken seriously for "heavy" parts. The Others was a bit wooden (although the character did require that in fairness), Australia would have benefited from Nicole's more mature look. She is excellent, pulling you in to her confusion and roller coaster of emotions she goes through with each day and set of new facts she finds out. I really enjoyed this movie and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes a clever thriller without the pointless need for tons of special effects.

DON'T read spoilers, they really will ruin the film for you.

Before I Go to Sleep might sound like Christopher Nolan's Memento, where the main character who suffers with short-term memory investigates a crime and struggles in trusting anyone. It started out simple, though it keeps unfolding several big twists at every turn, but the more answers it reveals, the preposterous it becomes. Suspension of disbelief could have been tolerable if it doesn't go through the B-movie direction, in spite of its first-rate production. That is what the movie often feels like, it's a trashy thriller that disguises as an art-house or prestige film. It's sort of weird, but it can be a frustration to how this supposedly stunning nail-biting ride finally turn out.

Despite of its melancholic looks, the movie is actually more prone to an insane thriller, shifted from a better potential. The mystery seems like it would work for a much grounded approach, since the characters basically deal with real life issues. Though the big twist does sound absurd at first glance, but a well handled storyteller would take this surprise coldly, slowly grows out the tension on what the villain is capable of. Instead it just becomes some Cinemax thriller or a slasher flick where the villain is a total maniac and never gets the chance to be human once his true nature is revealed. It could have been fun, but how the movie sets all of these up pretty much asks for a deeper purpose, the movie also concludes with a big drama where the emotions felt nonexistent. The film is all interested in being creepy, and even that part feels quite forced.

The director seems to have a good taste in visuals, there are a lot of gorgeous exteriors in almost every scene. How the clues get revealed are also decent, except for the awfully contrived last one, of course. The huge misstep of this effort, aside of the unnecessary shock (or just basically jump scares,) is treating the threat as a monster that will literally bash anyone's head if they don't look twice. Because there is no better tension to buildup other than that, apparently. The acting is too good for its own silliness, with Nicole Kidman letting the audience buy her character's serious conflict towards the whole game. Colin Firth surpasses what's written for him, easing down whatever paranoia his character is being described. And Mark Strong is always awesome, even for a role that simple.

Before I Go to Sleep is mildly entertaining, the first half brings plenty of good intrigue, but once the real answers come out, things just get unacceptably ridiculous. I don't know, it's just not as smart nor as fun as it tries to be when it gets there. No matter how much classy production and great actors they put on screen, its choices are still generic elements that mostly exist in your everyday action thrillers that you watch on television when you're bored in an afternoon. It's an amazing trick, too bad those illusions aren't strong enough. Maybe just like what I've said, this is best when you have nothing else to watch in a boring afternoon, but there is so much potential around this concept and its themes that could bring this story so much more. It's disappointing how they didn't try working much of that out.

Creepy thriller starring Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth and Mark Strong. An amnesiac (Kidman) wakes everyday with no memory of the events of the day before.

A twist on the 'Memento' concept. This film is full of twists as the story unravels and Kidman's character is unsure who to trust.

The film keeps you guessing. A decent thriller.

The idea behind this movie is pretty interesting but when you get to the end and all the pieces of puzzle are put together you realize there is absolutely no way this can happen in real life. Or at least not in the way it was presented in the movie. I was willing to suspend my disbelief till the end with the hope of a reasonable explanation but I didn't get one. There had to be other people in Christine's life (family and friends). If she was put in a nursing home then someone had to pay the bills. Doctors do not sneak around with patients like Dr Nasch did. It's just not believable.