THE FORGOTTEN
US, 2004, 91 minutes, Colour.
Julianne Moore, Dominic West, Gary Sinese, Alfre Woodard, Linus Roache, Robert Wisdom, Anthony Edwards.
Directed by Joseph Ruben.
Anyone seeing Julianne Moore’s name as the star of this film might be expecting a strong drama about relationships. Actually, it is that, but it is more of a thriller, a chase thriller, with mysterious otherworldly elements that are usually the realm of science fiction and fantasy. Julianne Moore brings it dramatic intensity and class. An interesting supporting cast included Dominic West as a bereaved father, Anthony Edwards as her husband, Gary Sinise as her psychiatrist, Linus Roache as a mysterious stranger and Alfre Woodard as a police investigator.
These ingredients are in the hands of director Joseph Ruben who, for twenty years, has produced a series of smaller, intense thrillers including Dreamscape, The Stepfather, Sleeping With the Enemy, The Good Son. What is interesting about this film is that most of it seems like a terrestrial abduction case with authorities denying the crime and husband and psychiatrist diagnosing a psychotic creation of a child by a distraught mother. The extraterrestrial elements and effects are kept to a minimum – that makes it all that just bit more plausible. Julianne Moore is quite convincing as a mother mourning her child killed in a plane crash and who can’t let go of him.
For those who like to jump out of their seats now and again, this film made me jump four times, especially an unexpected crash (excellent pieces of editing).
As with many of Joseph Ruben’s film, it is of modest ambition and budget, but very successful in its genre.
1.Domestic drama, conspiracy theories – to science fiction and X- Files style mystery? Successfully blending genres?
2.Contemporary New York, ordinary lifestyles, New York City, homes, the factories, the airports? A credible location for this kind of story? Musical score and atmosphere?
3.The title, the children, the adults and their forgetting, society and its forgetting?
4.Telly and Julianne Moore’s screen presence? Developing her character? Her relationship with her husband, the domestic scenes? The focus on her memories, the flashbacks and her son, watching the videos, the photos? Her going to the psychiatrist, talking with him, his diagnosis, treatment?
5.Her way of life, trying to let go, the continued memories of the airport, Sam and his leaving? Her anger about the photos disappearing? The psychological effect? Her husband and his denial of the photos? The psychiatrist and his contribution? Her meeting Ash, his not having any memories, talking, her running away after meeting her husband and his not knowing her? The police? Ash taking her in, the discussions, his discovering the wallpaper in his daughter’s room? The story of his daughter going on the plane? Running away with Telly, his remembering? Driving – and the shock of the crash?
6.The film’s editing and the shocks, audiences jumping, the crash, the humans being swooped out of Earth and into the air?
7.The growing mystery, Telly and her husband, his being a stranger? Her detective work, going to the library, finding out about the flight? Remembering, the memory of the airline, the airport?
8.The importance of the flashbacks, the character of Sam, his leaving, the memory as a motif?
9.The police, the agents and their mystery? Anne and her listening, wanting to help, the collaboration with Jack, going to the house – and her disappearing?
10.The hangar, the confrontation with the owner? The stranger, his being present at the accident? His being indestructible? His being the owner, the truth?
11.The psychiatrist, his listening, his knowing the stranger, understanding what was going on?
12.The irony that the experiment was with Telly, her ability to forget her children, the aliens studying this? The children not being the mystery? Her experience, winning out against the aliens, getting her child back, her life? Meeting Ash again – and his not remembering?
13.A satisfying blend of X- Files in ordinary life?
