Review: 'Forgotten' barely memorable
Good acting boosts thriller above mundane
By Paul Clinton
For CNN.com
LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- "The Forgotten" is just clever enough to be a worthy showcase for the immense skills of one of America's most gifted actresses, Julianne Moore. From the moment she signs on, her presence automatically increases interest in any project while lifting the artistic stakes.
"The Forgotten" is no exception. But Moore does more for this psychological thriller than it does for her.
Directed by Joseph Ruben ("True Believer," "Sleeping with the Enemy"), and written by Gerald DiPego ("Phenomenon"), "The Forgotten" begins as an earthbound, mind-twisting thriller exploring the emotional pain and grief experienced by a mother over the loss of a child, and the mysteries of how the human mind handles those intense emotions.
But then it morphs into a sci-fi abduction mystery about halfway through. Suddenly the movie is exploring the same mysteries, but in a much different -- and extremely sinister -- way.
That awkward transition is the film's weakest link. Only the artful acting from this point allows the movie to avoid comparisons to an average episode of "The Outer Limits" or a mundane "X-Files."
In search of the son
Moore plays Telly Paretta, a woman haunted by the memory of her son Sam. The child died in plane 14 months ago, and her concerned and loving husband, played by Anthony Edwards, and her calm, comforting psychiatrist, Dr. Munce (Gary Sinise), try in vain to help her cope with her sudden loss.
However, it soon becomes apparent that her problems go much deeper. Apparently, her son never existed. Her husband, her doctor, and even her neighbors have just been humoring her. Nevertheless, Telly has a deep abiding sense that Sam was real.
 Meeting Ash Correll (Dominic West) convinces Moore's character she's not alone, but he has to be convinced of their shared history. |  |
After a chance meeting in a park with a neighbor, Ash Correll (Dominic West) -- the father of a girl who was also supposedly killed in the same plane crash with Sam -- she desperately tries to make him remember. Ash, a former professional hockey player, is drowning himself in booze for reasons that are not quite clear to him and refuses to listen.
While at Ash's apartment Telly uncovers proof of his daughter's existence, but Ash refuses to acknowledge it. He, too, thinks Telly is crazy and calls the police.
But then he has a flash and realizes she's telling the truth. At the same time, in front of the apartment building, Telly is being turned over by the police to the National Security Agency.
Yes, the National Security Agency.
Good performances, weak script
So in a series of moves worthy of James Bond, Ash physically overpowers her guards, helps Telly escape, and they both end up on the run. The race for the truth is on. Are Telly's and Ash's kids really dead? Are they being held somewhere? Are Telly and Ash just plain crazy? Why is Uncle Sam involved? Is John Ashcroft having a bad day?
Moore's and West's performances make this a much better film than it should be. The script is weak in places, and if there was one more weepy flashback to the scene where Sam was boarding the plane I think I would have screamed.
And, somehow, the film assumes Telly is the only mother in the entire world who loves her son enough not to forget his existence, given all the information she finds out.
Well, I'm a huge Julianne Moore fan, so despite "The Forgotten's" flaws, I kind of liked it. But I'm not sure it's worth your nine bucks -- or the effort to get off your couch. If you want to watch good actors do good work, the film will entertain, but some of the plot twists beg to be, um, forgotten.
"The Forgotten" opens nationwide on Friday and is rated PG-13.
