The Forgotten

Plot Summary

Telly Paretta (Julianne Moore) is grieving over the death of her son, Sam, who died, along with other children, in a plane crash. In spite of help from a psychiatrist she spends much of her day looking at photos and videos of her son. When her husband, Jim (Anthony Edwards) tells her that Sam never existed and that she made up memories of him she is distraught. Her psychiatrist, Dr. Munce (Gary Sinise) confirms that she is delusional and when she discovers that the photos and videos of Sam are missing she doesn't know whether to believe them or to believe her own heart. Deep down she knows that she did have a son but cannot explain why her husband and neighbours don't remember him. Determined to find the truth Telly talks to Ash Correll (Dominic West) another parent who lost a daughter in the same plane crash. Ash claims that he doesn't know what she is talking about and that he never had a daughter!

Review

The movie starts off in the genre of psychological thriller. The idea of being told that what you know to be true isn't real is intriguing. What would you say if evidence showed that your memories were just illusions, make-believe, and tricks-of-the-mind? This part of the movie is really interesting and promises a great thriller mystery. However the movie changes somewhat as the story unfolds. The more Telly looks for evidence of her "forgotten" son the stranger things get. The movie starts to slip into the realms of science fiction and conspiracy theories. In fact this could be a feature length of the popular TV program the X-Files. This mightn't necessarily be a bad thing but this type of story is always in danger of becoming silly, if not absurd. If you like a 'straight' thriller you might not like the direction the story takes. The idea of conspiracies, unseen forces and men-in-black type agents might be enough to put some viewers off. On the other hand, and judging by the popularity of these stories not only in fiction but also in the media, this movie might appeal to a lot of viewers.

After the intriguing start I thought the second half was a little rushed in comparison. It didn't spend enough time explaining what was happening and why. There was a lot of unanswered questions in the end.

With regard to the acting it has to be say the Julianne Moore's performance gives the movie a lot of credibility. At the start she gives a great performance as a grieving mother struggling to cope with the death of her son. Then, when she is told that her memories are false she is confused, upset and angry. She portrays all these emotions very convincingly.

Dominic West also puts in a good performance as Ash Correll. Ash had a daughter but he couldn't remember her and when Telly first comes to him for help he thinks she is mad.

The Bottom Line: If you have time for conspiracy theories and enjoy programmes like the X-Files you will enjoy this movie but if you find that kind of thing a bit silly then you might be disappointed. If you enjoy The Forgotten you might also like to check out: Signs and The Mothman Prophecies.

Previewed by Niall Quinn, Premier Movie Reviews 2004.

RELATED MOVIE REVIEWS:  JULIANNE MOORE:  Far From Heaven,  Hannibal,  Laws Of Attraction, The Hours.  DOMINIC WEST:  Mona Lisa Smile,  Chicago.  LINUS ROACHE: Blind Fight.

Genre: Thriller/Science Fiction/Conspiracy

Director: Joseph Ruben

Certificate: The Forgotten is rated 12PG by the Irish Film Censor's Office (www.ifco.ie) for moderate violence and language. Drugs/sex/nudity are not depicted.

Official Movie Website: The Forgotten

~ Main Cast ~

Julianne Moore

Dominic West

Gary Sinise

Anthony Edwards

Linus Roache

RATING

WORTH A WATCH