THE FORGOTTEN (2004)

Directed By: Joseph Rueben
Wriiten By: Greg DiPego
Cinematography By: Anastas N. Michos
Editor: Richard Francis-Bruce

Cast: Julianne Moore, Anthony Edwards, Gary Sinise, Alfre Woodard, Linus Roache, Dominic West, Jessica Hecht, Robert Wisdom
A grieving mother, Telly Paretta, is struggling to cope with the loss of her 9-year-old son. She is stunned when her psychiatrist and her husband tell her that she has created eight years of memories of a son she never had. But when she meets the father of one of her son's friend who is having the same experience, Telly embarks on a mission to prove her son's existence and her sanity.

The film succeeds at building suspense for the first 80 minutes. Then it cops out. It starts out as a good modern TWILIGHT ZONE/X-FILES type story until the end where it buries all of the originality of what we have just seen to almost be null and void. It feels like a film that had a vision but was mandated by the studio to explain it all simply for the audience and have a happy ending.

It comes as such a sucker punch that it undoes all the things the film had going for it. Soon you forget it’s good graces and focuses on it is one huge flaw.

The film Has an icy cold texture, but as the film goes on. It keeps you guessing all the way to the end. You go through many theories, but always come up short for a workable explination. It’s a shame this was close to being a modern classic, but on the other hand. I wonder if any ending that they would have created would have been good enough or satisfactory to be believable with all that we have seen before this in the film.

The other thing the movie has going for it is Julianne Moore’s performance. Which goes from disturbed to troubling and broken hearted, Yet sad and skillfull. That you believe in her and want to follow and stand behind her without going over the top. She is good and so would have been the actress who was originally supposed to star Nicole Kidman. Though Julianne Moore is a more expressive actress.

The film is thrilling as you watch it but totally forgettable once it is over. Which is a shame as it has such promise. The film offers no quick action scenes instead it reveals itself slowly.

You truly feel that bond and love that makes you believe this woman will go to the end of the earth for her child, no matter what. That undying love which is truly what defines this film. Just like how the film FREQUENCY does the same for Father-Son Bonding and relations.

Wait For Cable.

GRADE: C-