The Forgotten
Review by Jason Gaston
What if, all of the sudden, your kid
was gone and no one around you even remembered he existed in the first
place? Some parents might see that as a blessing, but not Telly, the
central character in the mystery thriller, The Forgotten.
You see, this strange and yet stupid hypothetical question has become
a strange and stupid hypothetical statement for her as her son, who
died in a plane crash, is suddenly disappearing from family pictures
and even from the memories of her husband and friends. Has see been
making hew son up the whole time or is some insidious force with too
much time on its hands methodically stamping her son out of existence?
The
Forgotten, yet another dubious offering from the crap factory that
is Revolution Studios, has a great premise and even an interesting
first half as you see desperate characters try to figure their way out
of a maze that gets smaller and smaller with each new revelation.
The Forgotten lives to pull the rug out from under you at every
turn and, for an hour at least, evolves into a pretty engaging
thriller.
Unfortunately, just as the mystery begins to unravel, so does the
movie as what looks to be an interesting and novel story idea decays
into something familiar enough to be boring and absurd enough to be
laughable. It's almost like the movie switches gears halfway through
from a physiological thriller to a campy Sci-Fi Channel movie of the
week.
All of the greatness that this movie build over its first hour is
completely blown in the ludicrous second act. Take the worst theory
you can think of for this movie's plot and that seems to be the one
that The Forgotten goes with.
It's a shame too. The directing in this movie is pretty decent and the
acting is top notch. Julianne Moore tries her little heart out to make
this movie less crappy than it already is and, God bless her, she does
a pretty good job. I hate when someone says Julianne Moore isn't a
good actress because, no matter what movie she's in, she always gives
her best and doesn't coast along like other more well-thought of
actors who are really in it for a paycheck.
So, Miss Moore, I salute thee but I must pan The Forgotten, a
slick thriller that just falls right on its face after slipping in a
big puddle of stupid. If you must see it, at least wait for video.