| THE FORGOTTEN |
 2004 - USADirector: Joseph Ruben
- Reviewed by Vickie
What’s going on? What’s going on? Holy crap, Alfre Woodard just got sucked into the sky! What’s going on? And such was my internal monologue throughout much of The Forgotten, a wonderfully tense and mysterious thriller that suffers only from the comparatively weak conclusion to its story. Set in New York City, the film centers on Telly Paretta (Julianne Moore), a wife and mother struggling to cope with the death of her son in a plane crash 14 months earlier. Telly clings to the past and can’t let go of her son Sam’s memory, doing things like cradling his baseball mitt or watching videos of her boy over and over again. But suddenly, things start changing. Disappearing. First pictures of her son, then other people’s memories of him. It’s like he’s vanishing all over again. Telly sees a therapist (Gary Sinise), who goes from counseling her on her grief to telling her that she never had a son to begin with. That he’s just an imaginary person she created. What the who?! Telly’s husband (Anthony Edwards) sings the same tune and Telly soon starts to wonder if she really is having a psychotic break. Until, that is, she runs into Ash (Dominic West), the well-soused father of one of Sam’s friends, whose young daughter also died in the same plane crash. He thinks Telly’s nuts and claims he’s never had a child, until his memories suddenly come rushing back. He remembers! But why is everyone else forgetting? Why are pictures changing? Memories evaporating? Why are federal agents so interested in capturing Telly and Ash, who are forced into hiding? And what does it all have to do with Bristish actor Linus Roache, who keeps popping up all over the city with a mildly menacing smile? Aside from the talents of Moore, Sinise, West and Woodard (who are all unsurprisingly strong), the best thing The Forgotten has going for it is the fact that its core secret remains fairly well-shrouded as the film progresses. There are several possible reasons for everything that’s happening, and all are equally plausible in this cinematic world. You’re never really sure which reason is the right one, and the constant questioning (see above) holds your interest. Or, held mine, anyway. There were moments that were truly shocking and even one that made me think, “Yup, that’s going to show up in one of my nightmares now!”, and the film possesses a compelling story featuring interesting characters. At the same time, though, once the big secret is revealed, the entire story is tied up all too neatly and quickly. Many residual questions – about people and events – remain unanswered and seem to have been ignored in favor of a tidy resolution. I felt like saying, “Okay, hang on, what about…?” I can’t go into detail without spoiling the movie, but suffice it to say there’s a much bigger issue/problem that should be of greater concern to all involved than the case of a missing child. Most of the movie is a fun ride, and there were audible reactions (the good, nervous-twittering, shocked gasping kind) from audience members at the screening I attended. Overall, The Forgotten is kind of scary, kind of creepy, kind of exciting and kind of silly, but its ending kind of kills the momentum. Still, definitely worth a look. |
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