The Alzheimer Case

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(Redirected from The Alzheimers Case)


The Alzheimer Case (aka The Alzheimer Affair, The Memory of a Killer, and De Zaak Alzheimer) is a 2003 film based upon the novel De Zaak Alzheimer by Jef Geeraerts.

Angelo Leddo, a former hitman for organized crime, agrees to one last killing, despite his recently developed Alzeimher's disease. Upon killing the first victim, he learns that his second victim is twelve year old prostitute Bieke. Leddo refuses to kill her, and his employer then arranges to have Leddo killed. But Leddo outwits his would-be assassin and starts to hunt down those who hired him to kill Bieke. Parallel to this, the police, lead by detectives Vincke and Verstuyft, are running their own investigation, as bodies pile up and powerful men attempt to conceal their connection to child prostitution.


Tropes used in The Alzheimer Case include:
  • Abusive Parents: Angelo Leddo and his brother were physically and sexually abused by their father. This seems to fuel Leddo's anger against those who conspired to murder Bieke, who was a child prostitute pimped out by her father.
  • Asshole Victim: Several of these.
  • Bilingual Backfire: Vincke and Verstuyft, using Dutch, agree that main character Ledda (who they think only understands French) looks like "he's spent two years lying face-down on the rail tracks." Ledda later bids them farewell with a deadpan: "I'm going to spend two more years lying face-down on the rail tracks."
  • Contract on the Hitman
  • Criminal Mind Games: Leddo plays these with Vincke.
  • Even Evil Has Standards: Leddo declards to Seynaeve that he will not kill Bieke because she is a child. He also states that "no one will do it". Unfortunately he is wrong.
  • Grey and Gray Morality
  • Heel Face Turn: Averted. Leddo justifies the murders he commit in the course of the story because of his victims' involvement in child prostitution and subsequent conspiracy to cover their tracks. He does not appear remorseful over any other murders he has committed.
  • Hitman with a Heart: Leddo
  • Magnificent Bastard: Angelo Leddo.
  • Paedo Hunt
  • Pay Evil Unto Evil: Leddo's justification for his actions.