Die Vergessenen

Screenwriter Gerald Di Pego comes up with an interesting new slant on a well-trodden movie idea: grieving woman is obsessed with the child she lost to a plane crash, and refuses to accept it when her husband, neighbor, and psychiatrist all tell her he never existed. Conspiracy thriller with science-fiction overtures steps a little bit into "Close Encounters" territory, but manages to hold the viewer with strong individual scenes and a lovely, matter-of-fact lead performance by Julianne Moore. However, the editing goes slack by the film's midsection, with Moore constantly on the run and Di Pego's script scrambling to explain itself whilst keeping the audience in suspense. It's a gambit which doesn't quite pay off. Supporting characters played by Anthony Edwards and Alfre Woodard are unceremoniously shafted, while the tepid final act (more running) leaves a bushel of unanswered questions and unrealized ideas behind. The chilly cinematography (grayish blues and whites) is artsy and distracting, and the overall result smacks of too many cooks. **1/2 from ****

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...

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.

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.

Instead of going into a detailed review of this movie, I would just like to point out that the DVD of The Forgotten offers the possibility to view the Theatrical Release or the Extended Version which contains an alternate ending.

The Extended Version runs 8 minutes longer than the Theatrical version. Basically, the changes consist of 2 scenes that were cut off the Theatrical Release + the alternate ending. If you have not seen this movie yet, GIVE YOURSELF A FAVOR and watch the EXTENDED VERSION. The alternate ending is TOTALLY DIFFERENT and in my humble opinion a lot more in tune with the rest of the movie. I have not seen this movie in theaters and I decided to watch the Extended Version first. I'm glad I did! After the viewing, I decided to check the Theatrical Ending and I can totally understand why many people have talked negatively about the "Hollywood Ending" of The Forgotten. The Extended Version fixes that very well. I cannot understand why this was not the version showed in theaters.

All in all: good acting, good story - 8/10.