The Forgotten
Matinee
The Forgotten is one of those movies that when you come out, you want
to discuss it like mad, but you do so in hushed voices and
half-descriptive phrases so you don't spoil it for anyone. There's a
lot to spoil! Don't read any reviews or watch any previews until you
see it - it's quite cool to be surprised by this film (and I suspect
if you know what's in store before coming in, you will lose the edge
this mystery needs).
When the story begins to unfold, is it a drama, a thriller, a
mystery, a psychological tease (a la Memento or The Manchurian
Candidate) or what? As the film evolves, you realize all your
pre-conceived notions were totally wrong, but not in a bad way.
Twist number one has the cynics resting back in their seats: "Of
course, I knew it had to be something like that." After a while, you
get a whole different twist that turns the whole movie upside down.
Don't worry, you won't miss it. And then it really starts getting
good - literally anything can happen now, and some of it does.
Not wanting to give anything away, I'll just say that plot elements
like this larger revelation can spark a Group Eye Roll if not handled
just right. Casting a solid, real actor like Julianne Moore as the
lead in a movie like this was very smart on the part of director
Joseph Ruben. Moore can maintain an emotional reality and the
audience's sympathy like very few other actors can. Witness the
otherwise blah Jurassic Park: Lost World and Hannibal. She's totally
committed to the reality her character is living through, even when
the plot itself threatens to turn us, the audience, off, and she
keeps us invested. She needs major credit for that.
Former professional second-stringer Dominic West (Chicago, 28 Days,
Phantom Menace)finally gets to flex his muscles as a man whose
situation is similar to Moore's but different in a key way. Who is
to blame for the predicament in which our heroes find themselves, the
bad guys, or their own fallibility? It's very exciting.
A few damaged domiciles later, and we don't have that many questions
answered, but we're getting some help in asking the right ones. It's
an exciting ride, complete with literal
grab-popcorn-bag-and-it-explodes moments, and a fulfilling emotional
ride for us through Moore.
To say more about the story itself would be criminal, so I will take
the time to publicly admire the great work of the set dressing and
design team. Every space was carefully, lovingly constructed, with a
palpable sense of life going on in these homes; they were actual
people, with genuine solidity. It was easy to imagine going on set,
opening a drawer, and finding stuff that should go there. The
feeling that everything is so real and solid is one that Moore's
character does not get to take for granted very much in this tale, so
the contrasting believability of her surroundings just makes her
journey better. Ditto for the lighting of these places as well. I
want to name the crew but the IMDb was not cooperative. It's very
careful work and it should be noticed. It's a fun ride, go enjoy it.
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
These reviews (c) 2004 Karina Montgomery. Please feel free to
forward but credit the reviewer in the text. Thanks. You can
check out previous reviews at:
http://www.cinerina.com and http://ofcs.rottentomatoes.com - the
Online Film Critics Society
http://www.hsbr.net/reviews/karina/listing.hsbr - Hollywood Stock
Exchange Brokerage Resource
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