The Forgotten

Billed as a thriller, sci-fi, drama mystery, this film actually manages to entertain despite a mystery that solves itself too quickly. I give full credit for this phenomenon to the actors - all of whom I will not forget. Except for that one guy... you know the one...

A co-worker dropped a sneak preview ticket for the Forgotten while I was working on her computer. Turns out it was an extra so, the next day, I was standing in line at the theater with my wife. The crowd was pretty thick and we were among the last ones granted entry. I'm glad, while it's not an amazing movie, the Forgotten was definitely a good way to spend the night.

To say "the Forgotten" had the most intriguing preview I'd seen in a while would be an understatement. During the glut of summer movies we're bombarded by the "next Sixth Sense" or the "next installment of the award-winning franchise" previews. Something about Julianne Moore in those previews spoke to me. Suffice it to say, I was curious about the mystery and would most likely have seen this one this weekend anyway.

I'll try not to spoil it but the mystery peters out somewhere in the middle of the story. It's also suffering from a little "lame attempt to tie up the loose ends" syndrome. Ok, it's got a major case of it but overall it's a pretty good story. Let the review begin! (You've been warned).

Is She Obsessive And Crazy?

Julianne Moore will forever be burned into my memory as the female praying mantis in the romatic comedy "Nine Months" with Hugh Grant. In spite of (or maybe even enhanced by) this lingering impression, she is amazing and insanely sane... or is it sanely insane?

As Telly Paretta, she really made me feel the loss of her beloved son, Sam. Maybe it's her earnest presentation or the set of her jaw... I just really believed in her. In most movies, I'm rooting for the one in denial of being delusional to be as crazy as everyone says (if not more so). In this case I found myself hoping against hope that someone - anyone - would cave in and tell her she's not insane.

The entire cast made the first half of the movie a really gripping and heartrending series of scenes, building suspense and a sense of hopelessness but pending rebirth. There are some grim moments (like her therapy session with Dr. Munse - Gary Sinise) and some chuckles like our introduction to Ash Correll (Dominic West).

Then things take a little dip.

Where Did THAT Come From?

There's a moment where I'm afraid my enthrallment with the interesting premise and well-played characters faltered. The spell held true through the first moments but it didn't take long before all suspense was released and the movie shifted genres.

It all fit together, still, like a big puzzle but when the tone of the movie changes from "is it all in her head?" to "obviously not, how dare you have doubted her?" the delicate spell that allows for a conversation-worthy twist was broken irrevocably. From there, every scene became another step towards the only ending possible for a domestically-made movie... a clear, un-ambiguous "happy" one.

Half-Time Show

After "the moment" you can settle in for a good conspiracy theory film with frantic chases (complete with shaky-cam footage!), lots of black sedans, government agents, and close calls. The action score was made here.

This is the part where I was pleasantly surprised that the intrepid heroine and her only confidant don't collapse into a steamy, passionate embrace. Bound together by a common cause, they spend the time fleshing out their characters and I enjoyed their male-female comraderie (you don't see that without sex that often these days!).

Of course, some new people are brought into the mix during the half-time show. Don't worry, though, they're superfluous and don't really impact the story at all. In fact, one of my disappointments with the movie's characters is that you could have run the whole thing with (roughly) four of them. Nobody else really accomplished anything by being there. I blame the script because, honestly, the actors in question all do great jobs within the limits of their extraneous roles.

The Second Half

Welcome to the Twilight Zone, my friend. Or maybe an episode of the X-Files. After the open and shut mystery of the first episode and the excitement of the second all that's left is to answer all your questions and roll the credits. Normally that final step is handled in the ten minutes before the final commercial but this is a movie.

They did it in 20. And, since I've promised not the totally spoil everything I won't say any more than the last little bit is like a nightmare sequence. In fact, if the middle parts of the movie were removed and a couple of key effects removed from the climactic closing - it could very well have been a nightmare sequence. Too bad it wasn't.

Still An Entertaining Movie

After listening to me bemoan the bungled twist, I still have to admit that the Forgotten was a pretty well done movie. It's not a suspense thriller, sci-fi, or conspiracy flick... it's a drama utilizing elements from all three. Also, I can't say enough just how much I enjoyed Julianne Moore's performance. Oh, and I loved the "jump out of your seat" moments... been a while since one of those has caught me... and this one got me thrice (without getting stale, even).

Conclusion - worth a matinee if you're in the mood

It's a movie without any really strong factors to recommend it but when you look at the entire picture it adds up to more than the sum of its parts. Besides, I rooted for Telly during the movie (a rarity for me, I'm a villain-lover) so why not root for her afterwards? To sum up: a forgettable story but some really great acting. Especially if you're a sucker for a Mother's love.

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Note: all images captured from the Forgotten's official website.