The Clubhouse Podcast

iTunes Exclusive Episode Before I Go To Sleep

October 4, 2015 Season 5, Episode 59

Rob and Don review the thriller "Before I Go to Sleep," directed by Rowan Joffee and starring Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, and Mark Strong. The film follows Christine, who wakes each day with no memory of the past decade due to brain trauma, and must rely on her husband Ben and a mysterious Dr. Nash to piece together her past. The hosts found the film average and dragging, with only one significant twist saving it from being entirely forgettable.

About this episode

Key takeaways

  • The film's somber, cloudy visual aesthetic was intentional and matched Christine's emotional state, though no standout cinematography moments emerged
  • The plot drags significantly across its 92-minute runtime with only one major twist two-thirds through the film that resonated with the hosts
  • Nicole Kidman overacted in several scenes; Colin Firth delivered the strongest performance despite working with weak material
  • The ending scenes felt cheesy to the hosts, and the film suffers from comparisons to superior films like "Memento" with similar premises

Q&A

How do the hosts compare this film to other movies with similar plots?

One critic called it "a psychotic version of 50 First Dates." The hosts also noted similarities to "Memento," which they consider a far superior film with comparable amnesia-centered storytelling.

Would the hosts watch this film again?

Both hosts said no. They recommend waiting for it to come to cable rather than paying to see it, suggesting it's only for fans of Lifetime movies.

What warning do the hosts give about IMDB?

They advise not looking at the IMDB page before watching, as it contains a huge spoiler about the film.

Read Transcript

The following is a sooner orgator production. The following is a sooner orgator production. The following is a sooner orgator production.

했습니다. Live every sunday it's 7 extra 4 pacific. We'd love to have you join us sometime, and maybe you subscribe on iTunes, which is how you're getting this Either way, we're glad you're here.

My name is Rob, and I am the executive producer of the Clubhouse podcast Just doing what I do, man Joining me for this particular eye to this episode is the official fact checker of this show And a man that I think sounds pretty well on the average You may know I was fun, don't go, but his mom and even don't bored. I'm gonna call him Don for the welcome serve Oh, sorry, I had a wake up. I'm sorry.

Okay, I know it probably not not for over there. Thanks for having me, Rob Always an honor to have you here, sir. Whatever we do and I do this is it It's usually to review something and this one's no different.

This is actually iTunes exclusive episode number 58 We're reviewing the movie called before I go to sleep directed by a rowing joffy Written by himself and S.J. Watson who wrote the book that it's based on starring Nicole Kidman Colin Firth and Mark Strong Nicole Kidman plays Christine She is a lady who wakes up doesn't know where she is doesn't know who's laying next to her But as we find out She was in an accident about 10 years prior and she suffered some severe during brain trauma and because of it Every day she wakes up and has no recollection of anything in the last decade So she has her husband Ben Who has to every day explain to her exactly what's happened And after he leaves for work one day she gets a phone call From Dr. Nash The next if I make he has pictures of their wedding and stuff her bathroom with so much she walks in and writing saying this is our weddings So she can kind of get idea what's going on The Dr.

Nash calls her after her husband Ben leaves for work And tells her to go find a camera and what she finds out is This happens every day and she takes a video diary on this camera so she can kind of piece Together the parts of her past that are going to try to help her remember And that's all I'm saying That's as far as I'm going with the plot of this film again Directed by Rowan Jaffee Not a lot of directing for this guy a lot of writing He directed Brighton Rock which is a movie in 2010 you may have remembered it's kind of as an independent film more known for his writing But don't what did you think about the look of the film for again? I got to think of her buddy. He said All I'd integrate all those loves them thanks for having us in for this one The direction of the film Not impressive for me It I don't know that I can agree with you that it wasn't impressive Because visually I think he really captured the mood of the script really well Um I just don't know if it was it was a bad directing job.

I think visually it was fine But the thing I noticed in the look of the film and everything Most of the days they put this really somber look onto this film But I think most of it purposely died and I didn't like that There's only I can think of only basically one scene where really the sun was out when they were outside Besides that it was mostly cloudy days cloudy coal Stuff like that, you know, but for me, I think that was done purposely because that's that's how she felt Everything was cloudy everything was murky everything was cold and new and To me that that contributed to it. I could give him that on that Beyond the the look Normal look for normal film nothing no scenes that really stood out for me No big shots or anything like when we saw The stone has a silent mic you get those shots of the silent and everything nothing really stands out or even on One of our worst of the year under the skin where they had some beautiful scenery in there right Nothing really stand out for me on this on the look of the film And again, I just thought of it fit the story well From a story telling standpoint I really felt it's dragged in a lot of places like it was kind of like For them to get to an hour 32 which is the runtime of this film They really had to stretch it and when you have to stretch it just to get to the length of a Disney film Rethink the plan and now it it dragged a lot there was a lot of times where I felt like Chris Griffin on family guy We need to say to where is the chase and how can I cut into it and then thing is on this film If you read my written review on the clubhouse podcast calm that's our website And I love the background music. It's its own character.

Don't forget about me. Okay, um I was very unimpressed with the plot totally until one moment about two thirds of the way through the film and that's the only thing that really kind of saved it for me You know If you keep them called safe there was one big twist which we're gonna be in spoiler free because our repired deserves that But if you twist in this but I only saw one big twist Okay, they're in you know which one I'm talking about yeah So on the direction in the plot of storyline it dragged there was only one get turned and I'm going to leave it at that there were a couple of twists to it that I thought came to late That were like met passing mentions or I was like wait a minute when you could explore that a little bit You know I just I don't it was it was kind of a tired story for me. I saw this when it was called Memento Yeah, you know, and I know you get in your review you compared it to 50 first dates were to me It wasn't as much that as it was Memento.

I put this I if you're on my review I put that you know, I like 50 first dates. I love Memento. That was great film.

Yeah, my Memento wasn't Incredible, but thank you Christopher Nolan. Yeah, this was I put it on the review that one one fellow critics said this is a psychotic version of 50 first dates and that is definitely you know, I could see that yeah But in order for it to really be successful you really had to rely on performance here ends I found myself in the first 10 minutes going Hasn't it cold kidman always been this bad of an actress or is it just in this film like She overacted horribly in some scenes And I'm a kidman. You know, I'm not a big fan of hers.

I'm Oscar nominee, though No Oscar winner. She did she won for that. Okay.

No, not for Memento on Rouge. She got nominated for her show one the next year others. Yeah Memento on Rouge.

She didn't credible. There's a much as I don't like her right film Incredible film. She didn't credible in that.

We're do would I'll give the devil their do. Okay, you know that I will right I know you But on this film she was only the only thing the only acting that I mentioned on my written review was Comfort he did okay, and there's a couple of scenes where yeah, he worked because of course She expect greatness with him, but he was got a little over the top and a couple of sessions for me But he played the role well. Yeah, it's hard strong.

I thought did a good job. You did okay, but my thing with Mark strong No matter what I see him in you're welcome I'll give you a minute to absorb. Yeah, I don't take it.

Come on. Uh, it's background music. You're welcome America Every time no matter what he does no matter what I see him in All I can think of you or Sinestro because he was the bad guy and at the end of Greenland he was Sinestro Yeah, and I have that mental block with him, but I thought he did a very very good job There's a couple little twists with him that I kind of dug But overall I found this film very pedestrian I will say on Firthet when he turned into from what he was I thought that that that I thought that was good.

I really did and I'll give him the credit on that I thought that Firthet Firthet that you best performance. I would agree with that But when you know when you see stuff like King's speech, you know you expect greatness from someone like In the best way to put this is You got a guy who's in a curable shift like Irmel saying we want you to have a Emerald and we want you or you know Ramsey Gorman Ramsey whatever and we wanted you to make this incredible cake And if you get the great great ingredients you can make incredible cake, but what they gave him was You know powdered milk You know You know You know the stuff that buys him boxes and stuff and you know like dry eggs and everything they didn't give them the ingredients for as stone Cold sea of Austin says in his podcast he they want him to make chicken salad out of chicken something else. Yes Yeah, I mean he did the best he could with what he had but I did felt he there was a couple of scenes where he was a little too intense for the material But I think that's him trying to save yeah And I'll get into him on that very pedestrian for me very average like and I'm you know I'm not a fan of this kind of a genre But there was nothing in this film that made me go and There was a couple things that I was like oh, okay, you know Some of it you saw coming on my whole way of course, you know it was There were I what one thing I really did kind of dig and I'll give Jaffee credit for the flashback scenes In the way you shot those where you weren't sure what you were looking at because she wasn't sure what she was seeing and you kind of saw that for who rides and I kind of dug that Yeah But overall very average and the very ending scenes I found that so cheesy and though I'm like couldn't we just end this now and I don't really want to give it I'm not saying that's I say I speak of giving things away Do not look at the IMDB page for this film because if you do that before you see the film There is a huge spoiler in it and I mean huge And I'll talk to you about that after we go And we like to be spoiler for you guys are the entire deserves if you want spoilers go about in yourself I just I don't know this I just kind of Me That's kind of the way I was with this I was like yeah, yeah, it's just I was not impressed I could be faired in the colk him and trust me on that, but this one No, no, no I The only thing I did stood out for me was the one twist and Comfort you know changing in the film and just leaving it at that that's it that's only thing good I could say about this film Well, let's get to the final analysis We don't give you rankings thumbs nothing like that you are Empire and we love you and you deserve better than that The way we give you a final analysis on the film or anything we review It's number one.

Would you go see it again? The answer is no then we're done here The answer is yes, then how would you see it? Would you see it in for would you pay for price?

Would you go to a Twilight a matinee Maybe early morning? Maybe you catch it at the dollar theater in second run Maybe you go get it from a red box or anywhere you get DVDs or blue rays or maybe you wait for it on cable Don't what do you see this movie again? No, no, no, no and This is probably gonna make a certain top 10 list of mine really yes Wow, I would I say I wouldn't see it again because there's I don't think there's anything I missed I can't record I think if you're if you're a fan of lifetime movies You might dig this But see it on cable Yeah, wait wait wait wait wait for the game to come to you exactly because this was very average I mean very very average.

I was very disappointed when I look because I looked at the you know a lot of times I like to go to movies with maybe just seeing the trailer nothing more because I want to be surprised And you know that about me you want a lot of movies, you know like task I had no idea what task was about in both you know truly and if you're in I loved it, but Or even gone girl or nothing about the book, but this one I like I said if you're a fan of lifetime movie channel this is probably for you and if you're not Definitely and after your DVR's empty And that for me, that's gonna be a long time down the road sir All right, let's do the bloodshed We got a yeah, yeah, thank you all. I didn't integrate in her marketing marketing But we can't even say their name right we can get anything right today. I like integrated marketing We love you guys Thank you so much guys Visit our website www.theclubhousepodcast.com By not everything you need to know and some stuff you don't Like our page on Facebook look up to clubhouse podcast, but the word podcast on the end or it's something completely different Follow this show on Twitter at clubhouse show you can follow me on Twitter I am at yes that Rob Irvin my normal co-host for this show is Chad Wormick you can follow him on twitter at Shad npg69 I'm at fondongo and you can email me at dawn at theclubhousepodcast.com We love doing live remote shows contact Don for details on that you can email me questions comments concern something go Palms sand.

I am Rob at the clubhousepodcast.com Chad is Chad at the clubhousepodcast.com Our normal show every Sunday night 70's turn for Pacific your one stop shop for all things sports and entertainment Charlotte Parker is on Pinterest because we are more or we obligated to say that and jules want me Just doing what she does bro. It's all there is to it We appreciate you chatting and out with us for this particular exclusive. We do these all the time so subscribe about iTunes So until the next time we talk for Don for the empire I'm Rob the clubhouse is closed Britney Palmer I can't really find a place for her this but it what it made it better You The preceding was a sooner or later production

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