Os Esquecidos

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.

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 ****

Yeah sure I'll be in the minority a lot of people bash The Forgotten not me it's the perfect amount of weird! The kind of movie that makes me wanna say wtf in a good way; definitely some X-Files Esq. Julianne Moore did an extraordinary performance! Oh man the alternate ending is effed up the way it should've been.

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.

Telly Paretta is seeing a shrink as therapy for losing her son in a plane crash, only she never had a son but is convinced she had. All the people in her life don't remember Sam including her husband. When she confronts the alcoholic fathers of another child from the flight they set out to discover the truth and the truth is "out there".

Part X-Files and part Lifetime movie of the week, "The Forgotten" seems to really channel Chris Carter's hit TV show, look it even has a redhead. The story is interesting and Julianne Moore's performance is sincere but you can't help but think that something is missing. The clever twist is good but they could have easily expanded the storyline and made it more "something".

Good but not great, "The Forgotten" seems to lack its own identity due to the derivative nature of the storyline which needed a bit of assistance from Fox Mulder.