The Forgotten

Well, at least the movie has Julianne Moore. It also has a dozen plot holes and a handful of dangling threads. But there's Julianne Moore. There's a crackpot plot twist of "Twilight Zone" or "X Files" proportions. And then there's Julianne Moore. Okay, she's not the ONLY good thing in 'The Forgotten'. Without giving anything away (and be careful of reading reviews because to explain this movie is to spoil it), a significant member of the multi-cultural cast is whooshed away in a terrific GOTCHA moment. I usually hate those, but it worked like gangbusters this time. You knew something might happen, but not THAT. I haven't been as surprised by such a GOTCHA since Sam Jackson was torn apart by digi-sharks in 'Deep Blue Sea'.

A psychological drama is what we get in the first 30 minutes as Telly (Moore) struggles with the recent death of her young son, Sam. Her husband (Anthony Edwards) and her therapist (Gary Sinise) are trying to convince Telly that Sam never existed. She made him up. Hmmmm. Had 'The Forgotten' stayed on that track with one of the best actresses in Hollywood leading the way, I'd probably be saying nice things about the movie. For some reason, director Joseph Ruben and writer Gerald Di Pego decide to awkwardly cross genres and turn this into some sort of half-assed sci-fi encounter. Government conspiracy abounds with deceptive villains and their cheesy, villainous ambitions.

I've been vague because there are plenty of twists & turns that are best left unrevealed for those who want to see this flick. The mother/son story is poignant, but 'The Forgotten' doesn't want to be about such interesting stuff. Too bad. So Sinise gets to do nothing and Edwards does less. [He gave up 'ER' for wimpy supporting parts in B movies?] Dominic West---who's just as dull as the other men in this movie---co-stars as a father who apparently lost his daughter in the same Sam-killing plane crash. Or did he? Hmmmm. Hey, did I mention that Julianne Moore is good? A fine leading performance and one super-duper shock aren't enough to save this misguided pseudo-thriller. And let's not speak of that wuss-out ending...

First, if it's not already too late, please avoid the trailers, and I recommend watching the extended version with the alternate version. Why? One of the best surprises is spoiled in the trailer (lesser ones too) and the alternate ending is arguably better, definitely less simple and Hollywood-like despite the same final result. So, this was a very good thriller with an excellent concept I don't remember seeing done anywhere before in TV or film. What if your kid died in an accident but months later you were told by everyone he never existed? I appreciated how the subject was explored and how gradually that revelation and others were made. Is our mother delusional or is there something else going on? Of course, an option is more likely than the other, but the journey was suspenseful. At several moments in the film, there was an escalation of events that raised the stakes and made things more interesting and disturbing.

However, this thriller succeeds in part because it's grounded emotionally by Julianne Moore's intense performance. I felt for her ordeal and to be that believable, it's obvious she really is a mother who loves children. Of course, most mothers wouldn't be such great actresses. ;-) The other performances were decent and didn't detract. The directing also helped matters as the veteran Joseph Ruben obviously knows this genre. I appreciated the overhead shots, shots through obstacles and windows implying that our heroine might be observed. It wasn't the flashiest shots but they were well done. Of particular note to me were the accident and the captures, rather effective and shocking. I also liked how the color schemes differed from warm golden in flashbacks to cold bluish in the present. So, very neat "Twilight Zone" concept aptly executed with a great female lead. Your appreciation might depend on how open-minded you are, but for a critical cynic like me, I wasn't taken out by stupid behavior or illogical crap.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10 (very good)

Yeah sure I'll be in the minority a lot of people bash The Forgotten not me it's the perfect amount of weird! The kind of movie that makes me wanna say wtf in a good way; definitely some X-Files Esq. Julianne Moore did an extraordinary performance! Oh man the alternate ending is effed up the way it should've been.

Telly Paretta (Julianne Moore) is tormented by the memory of her 8 year old son after he died in a plane crash. Her therapist (Gary Sinise) is convinced that she is delusional and inventing these memories, but she is on a mission to find evidence that he did.

Julianne Moore is typically convincing in the role, and she sells the frustration of her situation really well. The story is very intriguing and incorporates some seamless visuals that are used sparingly and too dramatic effect.

Unfortunately the ending is little bit too Hollywood for me, but there is salvation in the alternate DVD ending, it's not perfect but certainly better.

6/10 - 7/10 with the alternate ending

This is better than average sci-fi, with a nice serving of mystery thrown in the pot as well. Add ingredients like good actress Julianne Moore (who is always hot), and a decent supporting cast, good special effects; and any parent who is sympathetic to having their child kidnapped (all of us?), and you have a guaranteed success. The pacing of this film is very interesting. It starts very slowly; and some may actually tune out before the plot unravels. Be patient. It does speed up. Better to have a film speed up in the middle until the end, rather than the other way around. There are enough duds that start off with a bang, and then leave us grasping for straws. This is not one of them. See it. And no, it is not really an X-Files or Twilight Zone episode; it can stand on its own.