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 ****

First, if it's not already too late, please avoid the trailers, and I recommend watching the extended version with the alternate version. Why? One of the best surprises is spoiled in the trailer (lesser ones too) and the alternate ending is arguably better, definitely less simple and Hollywood-like despite the same final result. So, this was a very good thriller with an excellent concept I don't remember seeing done anywhere before in TV or film. What if your kid died in an accident but months later you were told by everyone he never existed? I appreciated how the subject was explored and how gradually that revelation and others were made. Is our mother delusional or is there something else going on? Of course, an option is more likely than the other, but the journey was suspenseful. At several moments in the film, there was an escalation of events that raised the stakes and made things more interesting and disturbing.

However, this thriller succeeds in part because it's grounded emotionally by Julianne Moore's intense performance. I felt for her ordeal and to be that believable, it's obvious she really is a mother who loves children. Of course, most mothers wouldn't be such great actresses. ;-) The other performances were decent and didn't detract. The directing also helped matters as the veteran Joseph Ruben obviously knows this genre. I appreciated the overhead shots, shots through obstacles and windows implying that our heroine might be observed. It wasn't the flashiest shots but they were well done. Of particular note to me were the accident and the captures, rather effective and shocking. I also liked how the color schemes differed from warm golden in flashbacks to cold bluish in the present. So, very neat "Twilight Zone" concept aptly executed with a great female lead. Your appreciation might depend on how open-minded you are, but for a critical cynic like me, I wasn't taken out by stupid behavior or illogical crap.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10 (very good)

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.

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.

It has been over a year since Telly Pretta's son died in a plane crash; she is in therapy and daily lingers over his pictures and possessions. When the pictures start to disappear she gets angry at her husband for hiding them but her husband doesn't know what she is talking about while her doctor starts to consider putting her in hospital because she is not getting over this fictional "son" that she claims she had. Telly's memories are so strong and she knows she isn't crazy – a belief only confirmed when she meets another person who can't remember the daughter he lost in the same crash. As they dig for proof they find so much more than they ever suspected they would.

From the trailer for this movie things looked good (apart from ruining the most impacting moment of the film) and I decided to give it a go. The film is a strange mix because bits of it are so intriguing and gripping but then other bits are rather unsatisfying and it cannot keep the urgent tone up consistently. It is a bit annoying but something about the second half niggles – is it because it is all a bit too neat? Is it because it keeps suggesting bigger things that we never get into? Or is it just because the first half had such a simple and interesting idea that opening it out was never going to be able to match the first half? I'm not sure but the film only sporadically hits the right note and will suddenly (very suddenly) show us how big this thing is and how high the stakes are – but then seconds later we're back into a slower scene that almost feels like a step back. That said, the central premise and the bit of the story we get told is still interesting and the urgent moments are enough to keep it going.

The direction is good; drab colours are an obvious contrast with the bright colours of the memories but generally Ruben helps keep the tension up. The effects are good and they make the "big" moments really surprising and impacting. Moore is convincing throughout and she manages to give her usual high quality. The support cast is cluttered with names, which I assume was meant to be a load of red herrings; most of them are OK but have very little time although a cast including Edwards, Roache, Sinise, Woodard and a few others is probably worth a look.

Overall this is an OK film but not as good as the basic plot summary suggests. A good trailer will have you asking questions and interested before the film comes out, but it needs the film to answer these and still have us feel the same. I enjoyed the film and all, but by the end I was left with none of the intrigue and interest that I had had at the start and it is unlikely I'd ever chose to watch it again.