Girls of Geek Movie Review: "Before I Go to Sleep"

Written by Scotty

One thing that we all take for granted is our memories. Knowing that most of these have made us into the people that we are today, we would not change them for the world. But what if we start to forget some of the important things, what if we do not know what is happening around us on a daily basis, what if we do not remember our lives? Having this happen would drive anyone crazy and it seems to be happening more and more each day with Alzheimer’s and Dementia becoming so prevalent. It is hard to say what we will do when we start forgetting ourselves, but I hope that friends and family will be there to help fill in the blanks before we spiral into the darkness.

Christine wakes up next to a stranger and has no idea where she is. Jumping out of bed, she rushes to the bathroom and sees that it is littered with photos of her and the man she woke up next to, showing that the two happen to be married. Waiting on the edge of the bed, Ben is ready to tell his story to her once again, how she was in an accident ten years ago and now every morning when she wakes up, she can remember nothing from the previous day. Although Christine does not know if she can trust this man or not, the story seems too extreme not to be true, so she falls in-line with her daily duties around the house until her Ben returns from work, until she gets a strange phone call.

Doctor Nasch tells Christine what is happening to her once again, but she does not know the voice on the phone and has to prove to herself that he is not lying to her. Keeping a short video diary on a camera given to her by Nasch, she truly starts to understand her condition. Nasch is willing to hold sessions with Christine every day to help her get her memories back and he tells the forgetful woman that it was her idea. Driving around to different locations, Christine is returned to the place where she was found beaten and left for dead and does not understand why Ben would lie to her about the accident that he quotes on a daily basis. 

As Christine finds out more about herself, memories and dreams start popping into her head and she is starting to figure out who she really is. From a picture of an old friend Claire, to finding out that she had given birth to a little boy, Christine is able to put the pieces together on her own and her husband Ben seems to be hiding her from the facts. With help from Doctor Nasch, she is slowly remembering her past, one day at a time and with the help from her video diary, her memories are starting to surface faster each day. But when she gets a call from her old friend Claire, Christine is in for a rude awakening of what has been happening to her life for the past ten years.

This movie reminds me of Fifty First Dates, but a much darker version of it. It shows how easily someone can enter another person’s life by just knowing the situation that they are in. Christine has to decide who to trust on a daily basis and not knowing if someone is lying to her, she has to place her faith with somebody, even if it is the wrong person. Doctor Nasch stole the show for me as he has to work with a woman that has no idea who he really is that winds up falling for him. As he tries to push himself out of the equation, he gets pulled in closer and must try to stay professional while treating Christine. The two light up the screen together and you get the feeling that they are both working for the same goal, but not knowing the past will prove to be deadly when all is said and done.  Happy Viewing.

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