The Forgotten Review

by Karina Montgomery (karina AT cinerina DOT com)
September 27th, 2004

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.
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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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