Memory for Max, Claire, Ida and Company

Memory for Max, Claire, Ida and Company is an effective but thoroughly depressing documentary revolving around a select group of residents at the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care in Toronto. Filmmaker Allan King followed the lives of eight Baycrest residents for four months, taking the stance of a passive observer (meaning there are no interviews or even onscreen titles). This method allows the viewer to take an objective, up-close look at what day-to-day life is like for these people and the nurses that care for them. On the flipside, though, it prevents us from getting to know them terribly well; because most of these individuals aren’t quite all there mentally, we never really get much of an understanding of what they were like in their youth (something that could’ve easily been corrected by the inclusion of interviews with their children and loved ones). Having said that, there are a number of genuinely affecting moments here, with the most obvious example of this involving the death of a resident named Max. Claire, a close friend, reacts with sadness and regret when informed of Max’s demise. But due to her diminished mental state, Claire must constantly be reminded of Max’s passing (her shocked reaction each time is heartbreaking). Moments like that make it easy enough to overlook Memory for Max, Claire, Ida and Company‘s flaws, and it’s easy enough to see why King is considered Canada’s foremost documentarian.

**1/2 out of ****