The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

I watched this film on Vudu on a whim about a month ago, I was looking for mysteries or thrillers and I stumbled upon this film somehow, and I have not been able to forget it since. It sounded weird and out there(it is), it seemed like it would be way outside the mainstream thematically and tone-wise as a film (which it is), and I tend to enjoy movies that are a bit out on a limb and not your every day fair, that stretch the boundaries of storytelling. This has a linear plot line, but much of the details of things are revealed in a very unconventional fashion, and in a non-linear way without being confusing, which is a feat in and of itself. This is not a perfect film, but it is also a very memorable one. I also would challenge the statement of others that the length of this film is the problem and that the second half of the film falls apart. I actually found the second half of the film quite a bit more compelling than the first half, and things really picked up at the half way mark, as we begin to understand more about the night David's wife dies. The whole film is built around this premise, if it intrigues you, watch it, if it doesn't, don't I loved the idea of the drug and experiencing other's memories, it is still a very unique idea, and the way that he has to do it makes it very hard, it is not just simply taking a pill either. If you are off-put by the idea of a man using an untested drug that induces the memories of other people for the purpose of solving a the murder of his wife(that is not a spoiler, it's in the description) framed as a bit of neo-noir with sci-fi elements and very much a murder mystery, walk on. I am shocked that anyone walking in to this film would be surprised by the weirdness of this film given it's unusual premise. The main negatives that keep this from a full 10 stars is somewhat cheap feel at times. First, the cinematography and lighting does very well in setting the tone in the beginning, and in the end, but in other middle parts of the film, it is it's weakest least because of a cheap look, that is the best way to describe it. The second thing is that in some sections the tone is slightly confusing due to some hammy acting from particularly person who feels grossly out of place in this film, Christopher McDonald, who feels very out of place as Steward. Everyone else does a great job in the acting department, especially Ray Liotta, Peter Coyote, and Kim Coats (he is surprisingly sinister and yet very human at times), and actually McDonald isn't bad, I am just guessing he got this crossed with "Happy Gilmore" since they were filmed around the same time, and his performance is quite hammy, though I suppose it does provide a slight reprieve from the ultra-serious tone of the film. There two things, unfortunately, give the film a somewhat uneven tone, especially in the middle, but it is not bad enough that it hurts the film overall. There are shades of this film in other later films, I watched "Frequency" for one is very similar in many ways, I cannot say what they are without a spoiler though. Even Cronenberg's "eXiStenz" seems to use very similar ideas and tone. This is not to say if you like those films, you will enjoy this, as this film is not much like either of them in terms of the actual films, they just have similar elements.I did enjoy the fact that Ray Liotta is not cast as the villain for a change. This film is a heck of a lot better than another Ray Liotta film where he generally plays a good guy, which for me, was middling and kind of boring for the most part. Other than these two films and "Field of Dreams" or even "Goodfellas" it is very hard to think of a film where Ray Liotta plays a good guy, and after watching this film especially, it is very clear he is more than capable of it. Although, even though David is a good guy, he does a lot of questionable things, and there are consequences to his actions, which makes this a very believable role for Liotta. The other actors, for the most part do an admirable job, Peter Coyote is very much worth noting, and was far and away the best performance outside Liotta's, even if the rest of the cast are generally very good actors, they are just not given enough to work with, as the central focus is really on David's hunt for his wife's killer. This is a very unique film, and if you enjoy off-beat or unusual films, then you will enjoy this. I was engrossed the entire time, except in the little bits with Christopher McDonald, that through the vibe of the whole film off a bit, not enough to ruin the film.. It is somewhat violent, and it is a fairly tense film in parts, it is rated R for a reason. God Bless ~Amy

Linda Fiorentino has played a couple of self-absorbed seductresses, in "Jade" and "The Last Seduction", and she was extremely good, especially in that last, semi-comic role as an exploitative nympho. Here, she's a scientist investigating the transfer of memory by means of fluid extraction from the brain one the donor into the arm of the receiver. She's pretty good here too, and it was a surprise because she'd seemed made for the more treacherous roles. No kidding. As the principled doctor here, she's sometimes frightened and often wide-eyed with bemusement. Not exactly Alice in Wonderland but not Selene either.Ray Liotta is the medical examiner whose pregnant wife has been murdered and he begins to self administer the serum in order to recapture the experiences of the murder victim. It leads to more than he bargained for. It puts all sorts of unbearable strain on his heart and he undergoes all the emotions associated with being murdered. (Evidently, your life flashes before your eyes as you expire.) It's an interesting premise. I wonder if it wasn't inspired by a controversial experiment done in the late 50s or early 60s (I'm too lazy to look it up) involving flatworms and a Y-shaped maze. The experimenters trained a flatworm to find food at the end of the maze, then they chopped up the flatworm and fed it to a second flatworm in a kind of Planaria pate, and the second flatworm learned the maze more quickly than controls.The premise is full of promise but the story is knee-capped by its obvious desire to become just another action thriller with blood splattering all over the walls and pokers bashing in heads and Ray Liota taking the drug and writhing all over the floor like Jeykll turning into Hyde.The story is sometimes confusing too because, at times, Liota's own flashbacks are interpolated into the flashbacks of a couple of murder victims, so it's hard to tell whose memory (or insight) we're witnessing. Too bad it's so sloppily done.It ends with a monumental explosion and a house afire and Liota trying to rescue an unconscious body and a tape recording at the same time, while Fiorentino and a gorgeous Kim Cattral watch helplessly. At the final fade, Liota gets to spend an indefinite amount of time playing with his two cute little girls in such sunshine as the Seattle climate allows.

Very interesting Sci-Fi thriller directed by John Dahl. A forensic expert(Ray Liotta)accused of murdering his wife injects himself with an experimental serum that may help identify her killer. Use of flashbacks provides the "meatier" part of the movie. Some scenes are not only vivid, but stomach turning. Liotta does well with the role and leads a very solid cast featuring: Linda Fiorentino, Peter Coyote, Christopher McDonald, Kim Cattrall and Kim Coates. Fiorentino was my main interest in watching this worthwhile and a little far-fetched mystery.

I was really surprised at the quality of this thriller. Ray Liotta stars. Why didn't I ever hear about it? What a thrilling surprise. Try it if you like sci-fi new-formula medical stuff that requires intelligent imagination. Lots of twists and turns. Buy the premise and you'll love the movie.