Rating: 4/5
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PLOT
Telly Paretta (Moore) is grieving the loss of her 9-year-old son.
She's trying desperately to cope, but everything is turned upside down
when her psychiatrist (Sinise) tells her that she never had a son. He
claims that she has created the memories due to some post-traumatic
stress that she suffers because of something I will not reveal to you
here. She refuses to believe this, and when she meets a man (West) who
has had a similar experience, she's determined to figure out what's
going on. A tale of suspense and sci-fi mystery ensues.
JOHNNY'S TAKE
Now THIS is what I want from a thriller. I had high hopes for this
movie, and for the most part it delivers. The story grabs you from the
start, and what I like is that nothing is revealed too soon. The movie
pulls you along and keeps things nice and subtle until BAM it hits you
with an uppercut. The pace smooths out and then WHAM, a right hook to
the jaw. Pretty much the same method my mom used to employ to keep me
on my toes.
The big mystery surrounds Telly's son. She clearly remembers him, and
she has a difficult time dealing with his apparent death. About a year
ago, he boarded a plane that was bound for camp, but the plane was
never heard from again. Soon, all evidence of her son's existence
begins to disappear. His image has vanished from a picture, photo
albums are now empty, and a home video shows nothing but static.
Is somebody trying to mess with Telly's memory? Is her husband
(Edwards) in on it? What is her shrink's involvement? Is she crazy, or
is it everybody else around her who's lost it? Has Anthony Edwards
started to regret leaving ER yet? Or am I confusing him with Julianna
Margulies?
When Telly meets up with Ash Correll (West), she realizes that he's
forgotten about his daughter, who was also on the plane with her son.
It's at this point she's convinced that she isn't crazy, so she seeks
to find out exactly what is going on. I love how the characters don't
know who they can trust, and neither does the audience. Even
characters who are attempting to help must be looked at with
suspicion. You are to question everybody at all times!
The acting is very solid. You won't find my name in any Julianne Moore
fan clubs (although I was once a member of the Bon Jovi Secret
Society), but I have to admit she does a very good job here. And I'd
never seen Dominic West before (because I typically avoid snoozers
such as Mona Lisa Smile like Richard Simmons avoids women), but I
thought he was great. Both characters react in situations exactly like
you want them to. They're two distraught parents trying to find out
what happened to their children, and they're willing to do what it
takes. I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll leave it at that.
I definitely recommend you see this at the theater because there are
two jump scenes that quite simply have to be seen on the big screen
and heard with the best sound system possible. I'm talking two of the
better jump scenes I've seen in a while. Stephanie doesn't jump much
(even at times when I'm hoppin' like a giddy school girl), but she was
even jolted out of her seat. Well, she didn't literally go flying out
of her seat like a circus freak, but you know what I mean. One of the
scenes caused her to jump and clench my arm. Poor thing hurt her hand
on my bicep though.
Comparisons to The X-Files and The Twilight Zone are accurate, but
don't listen to the movie snobs claiming it feels like a "mediocre"
episode of one of the two. Keep in mind, this isn't the kind of
thriller that will have you trying to figure out the plot for days
afterward. It's not gonna make you think like Memento, and it's not
gonna shock you or disturb you like The Butterfly Effect. It's simply
gonna keep you guessing and entertained.
THE GIST
The Forgotten is a solid thriller that delivers a good mystery and
some of the best jump scenes I've seen in a while. If you wanna cause
yourself heartache and nitpick over some minor plot holes, then go
ahead and be a little curmudgeon. But what's the point? Allow yourself
to be entertained for an hour and a half. It won't hurt. This is a
very good date movie, but guys, do a few reps beforehand because your
gal might be grabbing your arm quite a bit, and it's best if that's
not an embarrassing situation for you.
Johnny Betts
http://www.themoviemark.com
========== X-RAMR-ID: 38676 X-Language: en X-RT-ReviewID: 1322211 X-RT-TitleID: 1136694 X-RT-SourceID: 1604 X-RT-AuthorID: 10939 X-RT-RatingText: 4/5
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