Haunted by the memories of a son her husband swears she never had, a distraught mother's search for the truth leads to a mind-shattering conspiracy of unearthly terror.
1 A Couple is missing here, MULDER AND SCULLY!!! (x-files)
WHAT A JOKE!!!! ITS LIKE A BONUS CHAPTER OF THE XFILES..WIHTOUT DAVID D. AND GILLIAN ANDERSON,
Im A huge fan of the x-files and this movie, is just an extension of plots of the tv show... Its a shame for chris carter, and in the special features... the making of .. what a bunch of Liars, nobody admit the similitude with the X files.. (On special the Writter)
A poor and bad Movie... !Zero! originality...... (but the suction effect was very funny)
2 suspensful, thought-provoking
This was yet another film that the critics dragged through the mud. So i was apprehensive while watching it.
The films pulls you in straight away. and its suspense from the beginning right up to near the end. Which i think is brilliant.
Although this is in no way a horror several parts had my heart jumping against my chest. A certain, unexpected car-crash scene being the first one to do so.
Forget the critics, watch this movie. The critics said it was completely far-fetched ... but so was E.T. and you didnt here them complaining then. 5 out of 5...
3 An intriguing film that didn't let me down at all
Ever since I saw the first trailer, I was fascinated by the premise of this movie - the memory of a dead child being erased from the minds of everyone but his mother - and wondered just how a story like that could possibly end. Having read some of the reviews, my expectations were a little bit lowered as I finally got the chance to view The Forgotten. It turns out that I need not have lowered my expectations at all because I loved this movie. I honestly can't see why so many people were disappointed with it. I had no preconceived notions of the ending, and I must say the conclusion not only made sense, it felt right to me. I'm not saying that the whole explanation behind everything doesn't have a few weak spots, but it certainly works for me. And the special effects - Wow! I wasn't really looking for any blow-you-away effects, and a couple of them really did a number on me - especially that first one. I didn't even see it coming. I wouldn't say I jumped, exactly, but there was definitely a twitch involved with the experience.
When you get right down to it, The Forgotten is really about a mother's love - probably the strongest force in the universe - and I think there is really something poignant and life-affirming in my reaction to what I saw here. Julianne Moore really is a great actress; she is definitely the rock upon which this story is built. Her character, Telly Paretta, loses everything - first her son in a tragic plane crash, and then what is left of her life as everyone around her forgets the son she is still grieving for. Every piece of evidence for young Sam's existence disappears - photos, scrapbooks, etc.; her husband insists that they never had a child; and her psychiatrist, Dr. Munce (Gary Sinise), explains to her that she invented all of her memories because of some kind of psychotic break from reality. Still, she never doubts what she knows inside. Fortunately, she does manage to awaken the forgotten memories of another girl's father, and that is when things really get weird. Suddenly, Telly and Ash (Dominic West) are being aggressively pursued by National Security agents, and that makes their job of finding out what is going on all the more difficult.
I understand that some won't really like the direction the story takes, but I was very impressed by the script and, especially, the convincing performance by Julianne Moore. I can't really argue the merits of the story without giving anything away, but I did think everything was laid out quite well. It's a mystery, a psychological thriller, and a drama all rolled up in into one, and I for one won't be forgetting The Forgotten any time soon.
4 Well, At Least The Ending Isn't A Dream!
Telly (Julianne Moore) and Ash (Dominic West) play two separate parents (previously unknown to eachother) who find that they both lost their young children in a plane crash on the way to a summer camp. The problem is they keep "losing" their memories or worst, clear possessions of their child they know they once had. It feels like their memory of their lost child is being `erased' from them or that they might be going crazy. That's lots of fun to watch. Of course, the spouses are trying their best to deal with this annoying craziness, but there is only so much a person can do! Director Joseph Ruben inserts lots of mind-bending special effects and after an hour you wonder what in the heck is going on here? Suffice it to say that if you ever saw a movie where it turns out everything was really a dream, you know how ripped off you felt. Well, the ending here is no less interesting and as much of a letdown. Think of a bad television version of the "X-Files"!
5 New, but not unique, good but not great, recommended
I don't like movies that don't tie up loose ends by the end of the film...I've always considered this a cop out by the director. However, this movie did answer all questions indirectly during the film when the NSA agent says "the truth is too big to fit inside your head". In other words, this is more of a "what if?" kind of movie instead of something written/filmed purely for entertainment. The truth isn't understood completely, just an idea explored.
Warning: SPOILER.......The idea being, aliens are among us already, hidden, and probably have been for a long, long time. Not only are they here and mostly unseen, but they actively experiment on human beings with all the detachment and compassion of your average scientist experimenting on a lab rat. An idea too horrible for most people to believe, and for many who believe Christ will save us from ourselves (and aliens if need be), this premise would be not worth debating. I am sure these people sleep better at night.
But there is an audience, those fed on "The Matrix", the "X-Files", the Sci Fi channel, those who have claimed to be abducted, had strange experiences, or witnessed a cattle mutilation, who are more open minded to the idea that maybe we won't be "saved" after all, unless we first open our eyes and try to help ourselves. This movie will most likely appeal to this populace. The screenwriter mentioned there might be a 'Forgotten Part 2"--if so, I hope he sticks to his dream impressions (the source of his screenplay was a vivid, unforgetable dream, according to his voice over on the DVD) and less on theatrics--I think it was some of the more unbelievable dramatic moments in this movie that caused the eye rolling reactions.
After all, we all know, if the aliens ARE here, they are a lot more subtle. They don't like corroboration--it's a lot easier just to send someone to an insane asylum with schizophrenia than it is to yank someone out of the world all together. Less messy consequences. Viewers who thought the movie strayed to rediculous when the alien's actions became more visible, instead of keeping the story in the cause/affect realm of the human mind---you have a point. But not for the reasons you imagine.
6 MISPLACED REACTION!
THIS WAS A VERY INTERESTING MOVIE UNTIL IT WAS OBVIOUS IT WAS ANOTHER ALIEN MOVIE! THE ENDING WAS VERY VERY BAD & BADLY WRITTEN! THE PRODUCER REALLY MESSED THIS ONE UP - THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY GOOD MOVIE - MINUS THE ALIENS!
7 average
Telly Paretta (played by JULIANNE MOORE) is a married book editor who basically has a `mid-life crisis' when her nine-year old son, Sam (CHRISTOPHER KOVALESKI) was killed in a plane crash fourteen months ago. Despite her husbands loving support, Jim (played by ANTHONY EDWARDS), and regular sessions with therapist Dr. Jack Munce (played by GARY SINISE), Telly's world is filled with grief and loving memories of her dead son.
Soon, more mysterious things begin to happen. Telly begins to become convinced that her husband is removing all evidence of her son's existence, such as videotapes and photographs. To her shock and horror, both Jim and Jack inform her that Sam never existed and was simply her mind playing tricks on her after an unfortunate miscarriage.
Telly flees and goes to the only person she thinks will understand her plight, turned alcoholic Ash Correll (played by DOMINIC WEST) whose daughter perished in the plane crash along with Sam and others. Yet, Ash states he never had a daughter, a point that only confuses and frustrates Telly even more, as she knows she can't be going crazy.
Ash calls the police, but when they arrive to get her, so does NSA agent Carl Dayton (played by ROBERT WISDOM). With earlier prompting from Telly, Ash suddenly remembers his daughter and helps Telly escape from the Feds. As the two then go on the run from those agents, local police Det. Anne Pope (played by ALFRE WOODARD) who's been called to the case by Jim, and others including a strange man (played by INUS ROACHE) who's always lurking about, Telly is determined to find out who or what's behind the apparent conspiracy designed to make her think her son never existed.
That about sums it all up. I found that this was a mysterious movie and was enjoyable at times, yet also boring. A little confusing as well. Good overall. I'd suggest renting it before purchase, though.
8 Great potential...
This unusual feature film seems to have come directly from the offices of Chris Carter. (Millennium, The X Files) When first seeing the previews, I thought, considering the talent, Julianne Moore and Gary Sinese, that this would be a disturbing though sophisticated psychological thriller, a woman haunted from repressed memories, revealing, in the end, a traumatic and evil event. Remembering this past event would be terribly dangerous for her, culminating in a white-knuckle climax. What I didn't expect was this kind of film - a quasi science fictional tale, which, for the most part, leaves the viewer unsatisfied.
The performances were all first rate. Julianne Moore is an excellent actress and Gary Sinese as the concerned therapist, although a small role, delivered his usual high standard work. However these fine actors are wasted on a script that was not thought through... perhaps this sounded like a great idea in fifty words or less, pitched to the movie executives over a long, liquid lunch, but the final product misses something, and that is a movie which had the potential to be great and ended up being mediocre.
It is impossible to write about this film without giving too much away, though to be fair, a few scenes that used special effects, particularly those characters literally being whisked away into the sky, was quite impressive.
There is so much one can do with the notion of memory, false memory and lost memory, in a fictional tale. A great film that comes to mind is the 90's thriller, Memento, directed and written by Christopher Nolen, starring Guy Pearce as the amnesiac and avenger of his wife's killer. This was a clever film that had the audience guessing from beginning to end.
The Forgotten starts compellingly, with Telly Parada (Julianne Moore) struggling to cope with the loss of her 9-year old son. In the first ten minutes of the story, mementos such as photos and videos of the boy start to go missing, until every remnant of his existence vanishes. Is Telly delusional? Did she ever have a son? Her psychiatrist seems to think she's loosing her mind and her husband does as well. Telly won't give up, however, looking up another parent who has also lost a child in the same alleged plane crash. As the film progresses we are informed of the secret, and the story slowly becomes a silly moral tale about the indestructible bonds between mother and child.
This is one of those films that has a great director, extraordinary talent, a suspenseful soundtrack and great special effects, unfortunately set against a script that would have been rejected by Chris Carter of the X Files as too silly to be even considered.
9 Don't Forget The Forgotten
One of the best films I have seen in a long time is The Forgotten. It's about a middle aged woman named Telly (Julianne Moore, Laws of Attraction) who losses her nine-year-old son, Sam Paretta, fourteen months earlier in a plane crash. She is still grieving over the loss and is seeing a psychiatrist (Gary Sinise, C.S.I.: NY, Mission to Mars) to help her slowly coup with Sam's death. Yet, one day her husband (Anthony Edwards, ER) swears they never even had a child and her psychiatrist insists she is delusional. Telly tries to convince them but all evidence of her son's existence has been completely erased. Telly is haunted by the memories of her son so she searches for the truth that is hidden within a conspiracy of inexplicable terror.
The number one reason why I enjoyed this film was for its incredible camera shots. Each scene gave off an eerie sensation of a higher being at work. Also, each shot was filmed to show the audience just enough to figure out what was going on, but still left much to the imagination. Not to mention the fact that all of the camera shots repeatedly get your adrenalin pumping and your heart pounding.
I also liked this film because it helped me realize how connected a mother is to her offspring. Ash Correll (Dominic West, Mona Lisa Smile), whose daughter Laura also died in the plane crash, had forgotten all about her but Telly had refused to forget about Sam. I loved how this movie took this concept and used it to get the audience to think about how a mother could, with all odds against her, remember a forgotten child.
The actors in this movie were remarkable. Julianne Moore was the perfect choice. She proved she could do comedy when she starred in Evolution, she proved she could do drama and anguish when she was in Hannibal, and she proved she could do it all again in this film. I also thought Dominic West did an incredible job, too. He mastered his part as a smooth jerk-of-a-teacher in Mona Lisa Smile and now, in this film he played perfectly the role of a grieving dad. Moore and West are great together and put a lot of drama and emotion into their acting; I hope to see then star together in future movies as well.
My advice to anyone that wants to watch this movie is to realize a few things ahead of time. First, if the film is not what you expected, don't automatically label it a horrible film; instead realize what a great job the director (Joseph Ruben) did in keeping this film's surprise twist a mystery till the end. The less you know about the ending or true plot of a film, the more influence that trailers are going to have on you to see the movie. Second, realize that this IS just a movie, so enjoy it! It's not based on a true story so some parts are going to be exaggerated and fake, but that just makes this film all the more edge-of-the-seat entertaining. Also, this film will make you jump (just like in The Sixth Sense). I can think of at least two parts where the whole audience, including me freaked. A little suspense and thrill is what makes this film so much fun to watch.
If you are looking for a film that is both entertaining and full of suspense, drama, and terror with endless twists and turns, then this is a perfect movie for you. Also, after you have watched the movie, ask yourself this question: so...does this movie make Telly the "ultimate mother"?
10 Could be better.
A woman (Julianne Moore ) lost her child in a plane crash. Nobody believes her not even her husband. So, she's in psychotherapy.
One day she had enough and she starts investigating with the help of a man who's little daughter dissapeared also.
Who are the bad ones ? some weird guys who use humans as guinea pigs.
If you like Julianne Moore ( pretty good acting also in this movie ) you probably will like this movie.
I myself find the plot a little to easy and too far fetched, but hey ! that's my problem. Don't let it spoil your fun.
11 Builds up to nothing
Julianne Moore is great, as always, in "The Forgotten", a sci-fi thriller in which those around her simply seem to believe that her dead nine year old son never existed. Some twists and turns and interesting action comprises about the first two thirds of the film, leading me to want more and figure out what exactly was going on. Let's just say the ending is very disappointing and extremely simplistic. Once again, a film suffers from a lackluster script. Without Moore this film would be below average, but she lifts it to watchable status.
12 Misbegotten
The Forgotten is an example of yet another "Hollywood" science fiction thriller that tries too hard. Is it me or have movies like this gotten worse over time? Ever sinse The Sixth Sense may such a splash, the genre has been forced to worry about the "shocking ending", so much so that filmmakers seemed to forget that film has to entertain as well.
Telly Paretta (Julianne Moore), loses her 8-year-old son, she seeks the help of a psychiatrist (Gary Sinise) to cope with the pain of her grief, only to be told that her son is merely a figment of her imagination, with her mind making up eight years of false memories. When she meets a father (Dominic West), Ash Correll, who had a similar experience with his own disappearing daughter, the two decide to team up, trying to find the answers behind the mystery.
Director Joseph Ruben knows how to thrill us. His adaptation of the book Sleeping With The Enemy worked pretty well after all. The problem here though is that, I have seen this tale done so much better on episodes of the X-Files series, this ends up as just a wannabe. It's all atmosphere and look--nothing to care about. Moore is good for reacting to what's going on, but she can't elevate writer Gerald DiPego's screenplay much beyond the muted story it is. The hook isn't that much of a twist. I should have known what I was in for, as soon as I found out about the infamous alternate ending, usually never a good sign.
The extras on the DVD don't offer much support to the main feature. Take the audio commentary with director Ruben and DiPego, this is one of the hardest I have tried to sit through in a long time. While both men offer a few interesting tidbits at times, neither man changes his inflection or tempo, and I felt as though I was back in college listening to my second year history proffessor. There's a 20-minute "Remembering 'The Forgotten'" feature where DiPego says it all started with a dream he had, but with a dream and when hee woke up, started writing, and the result was this screenplay. Ruben joins in the fray for a few generic comments typical of pre release in a second featurette The 10-minute alternate ending and two deleted scenes that total just a few minutes aren't as promising as the back cover claims. The alternate ending is interesting to see but the fact that the second finale exists at all means no one had faith in their work and rightly so. Previews top off the bonus material.
What a disappointment disguised as a bloated X-Files segment. Where are Mulder and Scully when you need 'em?
13 The Forgotten
"The Forgotten" is a great movie about a person who mourns for her son and no one else remembers him. The government seems to be hiding something and try to make the thought of her lost son just crazy thoughts and that she is crazy. The movie has great actors and cool effects when people suddenly get sucked into the air. The Movie is rated Pg-13, probably because they say the "f" word. I was angered on how they would put that word in there when they don't need it. The movie surprised me as it started to be more and more sci-fi. The movie is great and except for the "F" word it should be a great family movie. When watching the movie for the first time through, I found it kind of hard to follow. After watching it a second time I began to understand the DVD. The movie is action packed, and full of twists and turned. Searching around you may be able to find "The Forgotten" for a cheap price. The movie is awesome as people get sucked up into the air suddenly. The movie may scare young kids because of sudden noises or sudden events occurring. I got startled when the first person suddenly got sucked into the sky. This mysterious, sci-fi, action movie is a great movie that I would recommend to anyone who would like a good movie.
14 Mulder and Scully would've fared better! *SPOILERS*
As others have stated, there are too many similarities between this film and an episode of the recently departed "The X-Files": an alien with regenerative powers, mindless government agents, too many chase scenes, dimly lit streets, a cop (Alfre Woodard) that discovers "the truth" a little too late, all frequent elements of the show.
Even James Horner's subtle score treads musical ground better covered by "Files" composer Mark Snow.
And poor Gary Sinise probably needed to move to television ("CSI: New York"). It's become obvious, as of late, that whatever character he portrays in a film has a hidden agenda.
The saving grace of the film is Julianne Moore, an actress that deserves better than this easily "forgotten" film.
15 A Fun X-Files Type Movie
This is just a neat movie, its entertaining and relaxing. All in all rent THE FORGOTTEN on a rainy saturday night for a neat mystery and you have fun with it. Make sure you leave your brain turned off so you can appreciate the film for what it is.
16 My money has been TAKEN...
It is even an ofense to call this completly waste of time a movie. It could have been a so-so episode of The X Files series, but that's it. Completly childish plot with absolutly no concept at all. I warn you, don't waste your precious time and money on this. Go and watch The Sixth Sense again, insted.
17 Feeble and Forgettable
1938. In Hitchcock's `The Lady Vanishes' the heroine chats for a few minutes with an old lady on a train before dozing off. When she wakes up the lady is gone and all her fellow passengers deny she ever existed. Then in 1965 we had Preminger's `Bunnny Lake is Missing' where our heroine, recently arrived in London from the US, loses her daughter and then has a hard time convincing the local cops she ever had one in the first place. This movie tries to up the ante on these classic thrillers by having Julianne Moore's heroine Telly Paretta suddens finds nobody else can remember her recently deceased son Sam and that all evidence he has ever existed has vanished. The difference is that the earlier mystery movies just mentioned made things hard for themselves by setting up an intriguing mystery and then offering an explanation that didn't go beyond the bounds of natural human possibility. Reaching for some wacky supernatural or extra-terrestrial X-Files-type explanation would just be a horrible cop-out making an explanation too easy and robbing the mystery of any interest or intrigue. That's exactly the sort of cop out his woefully disappointing, utterly forgettable movie perpetrates. This might have been half way forgivable had the result been strong on suspense but, alas, it is not. Julianne Moore is always worth looking at. She's one of my very favourite actresses but I do wish she would get herself a better agent to steer her safely clear of crap such as this.
18 laughably bad
this movie is a waste of celluloid and an insult to thousands of better ideas that never got made. A mess - skip it.
19 In Ten Years Who Will Remember "The Forgotten"? I Won't
Juliane Moore stars in this steaming celluloid melting pile of retardedness that takes everything bad about "The X Files" & stretches into an hour & forty five minute embarassment on how to properly screw up one's movie career.
The film starts with Moore's character losing her young son. No, he didn't die he just "disappeared". She's told to believe he died in a plane crash. Thinking its all a cruel practical joke she confronts her husband portrayed by Anthony Edwards (its "Goose" from "Top Gun"!). Her husband doesn't know what she's ranting about because he knows they don't have children. She, of course, thinks otherwise and finds the father of one her sons friends who was also on "the plane".
After some investigating both the mother & the friends father find out that the truth is out there & find out that both of their kids were abducted by aliens. In order to save her son, the mother must confront the aliens.
My God did this movie suck major league ass. I couldn't believe it. If you took any episode from "The X Files" that dealt with Scully & her baby, twist some plot threads around here & there you would have "The Forgotten". Even the scene in the film where Woodard (there's a great cop. Not!) shoots the human alien in the back seven to ten times is taken directly from "The X Files"!
Whats wrong with this film? Its a bit weird to see Moore and Edwards in the same movie as husband & wife. Why? They both worked together on "ER" years ago!
The film wasn't scary or chilling at all.
Where are the damn aliens?! The human equivalent doesn't count.
I busted a gut laughing when the guy gets sucked up in the air after he says "They are listening." I was waiting for the Wicked Witch Of The West to show up!
I could go on all day, but you get the drift.
This movie lives up to its name. Whats the name of this film? Don't ask me, I've learned to forgive & forget.
20 Psychotic women and the men, who love them.
I think everyone will agree that if this was an X-Files episode FOX would have proceeded it with the announcement that "all of our questions would be answered". Then, upon watching this episode, we would realize that not all of our questions were answered, but instead left on the table to allow us to figure out ourselves or not at all. That was a huge downfall for The Forgotten that really irritated me throughout the picture. Here we had the gorgeous concept of abduction, a mother's ability never to forget the child she lost, and this enormous possibility of government conspiracies, but it literally went nowhere. Throughout the film new concepts, new ideas, and possibilities that seem endless constantly attack us, but we are given no explanation. That is what bothered me the most. We had the framework for a very decent little sci-fi thriller, but instead director Joseph Ruben decided to go with a familiar story that would appeal to a non-intelligent audience instead of a crisp thriller that could have really bent your mind. I wanted my mind to wrap around this film, but instead I think my mind fell asleep.
Julianne Moore did a decent job in this film, but perhaps gave a bit too much emotion behind her character. If she wasn't crying than she was screaming or running. I wanted to see the strength of this woman and her perseverance to find her missing child, not this emotional nutcase that has a reaction to everything that happens to her. I know that Moore can do a very emotionally heavy film, but I didn't think that this project needed her to be at such a top level. Perhaps that is what was wrong with this film. The focus was completely off. Here we are focusing on the emotional struggle that Moore is going through, when we really should be trying to uncover the truth behind the disappearance. There was nearly no attempt to find out the truth. For some strange reason, I remember feeling like the honest truth was difficult for our actors to say. I felt as if they were forced into this side event that would stop Moore from being so emotional. Or, perhaps, nobody really knew what the truth was. Here we had this huge surprise Shyamalan-esque styled ending, but I never really felt as if the actors were on the same page. I could hear Ruben gasping from excitement in the background, but Sinise, West, and even Woodard seemed less surprised by it all.
I think that this film didn't do as well as hoped because the lines between what type of genre this was were skewed. Was it a sci-fi? People flying up into the air just doesn't quite do it enough for me (kinda felt like a cheap way of explaining things). Was Moore really just imagining all of this? Yet another question that needed a definite answer by the end because there were so many other elements happening that a direct answer would have only strengthened the entire film. Did anyone really care why the child was abducted? It seemed a bit flimsy to me, but again, I am no mother. I needed something, perhaps others did not, but there were these huge gaping plot holes in the film that needed to be filled somehow, but apparently the repairman couldn't make it to the set. We just jumped from moment to moment without any further explanation or reasoning. I cannot express this enough. That is the ultimate downfall for this film, the utter lack of coherence and connection between everything. I felt like I was watching a connect-the-dots that followed no order and the performers just went where ever they wanted instead of going from point A to point B.
I think I have gone a bit sidetracked here, but when I think of this film, I just cannot put everything together. I don't need something handed to me on a silver platter, in fact, I love movies that make me ponder the truth. The sad part about The Forgotten is that I nearly forgot why I was watching it midway through the film. I was connected to nothing and the unanswered questions that only broadened the scope of the film into this massive ordeal that nobody, from the director to the actors could handle.
I would also like to comment on the DVD itself of this film. For me, the theatrical version was much better than the extended version. I have heard others say that they would prefer to watch the extended because it gives us a better answer to the end (and I won't get into unanswered questions again), but for me the original ending was a hair better. Perhaps it is because I watched the extended first and it gave me such a sour taste in my mouth that the original might have just helped dissipate that sour sensation. Either way, that is my two cents.
Overall, I thought this was nothing more than just your standard issue sci-fi thriller that could have been pushed into the category of interesting or creative if it wasn't so clichˇd ridden with this overwhelming desire to be "secretive". The secret is given away by the middle of the film, which still doesn't answer the questions that we have. Ruben was working with too big of a concept for his britches with this project and you can tell by the finished product that more could have been done to capture the sensationalism of aliens and abduction. It has been done before in other films, why couldn't he do it here? Yet another question that will never be answered as this film becomes just another cinematic mediocrity.
Grade: *** out of *****
21 A movie worth watching!
The Forgotten brings to the screen the story of a mother who refuses to accept what everyone (including her own husband) seems to be telling her about her son never having existed and having been part of her imagination all along. Things get more complicated when she begins sensing not only that she did have a son, but that he is still alive, and that there are others who are also having similar feelings...
It is a movie about human relations, hope and second chances, but most importantly about trust, inner strength, courage, sacrifice, and how love-motherly love, can overcome and prevail even in the most difficult of situations.
There are slight hints of Arrival, and strong/obvious elements of the X-Files.
Julianne Moore, Dominic West, Gary Sinise, and the rest of the cast have truly outdone themselves with their performances, which are exceptional to say the least. All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows (the chemistry is AMAZING)!
The only setback is in relation to these characters not having, not having parents-grandparents, brothers-sisters, best friends-distant friends, or is everyone under the effect? If so, the main characters should be at least seen trying to get a hold of EVERYONE they know, not just the neighbor, for verification.
The plot, the setting, the dialogues, the special effects, and the music are all EXCELLENT!
In conclusion, The Forgotten is a movie guaranteed to provide an evening's entertainment; it is one of those films that gets you and keeps you thinking long after it's over.
22 Conspiracy or Insanity?
The "Forgotten is a frustrating and suspenseful film about a woman who loses her son in a plane crash only to find that everyone around her is convinced she never had a son at all and that she is losing her mind. The main character goes to great lengths to preserve/discover the memory of her lost son, even though the people around her are convinced she is crazy.
Julianne Moore plays the main character, Telly Parada. She performs her role very well, with plenty of emotion. One of her co- stars, Dominic West who plays Ash Correll, is also pretty good. Ash is a guy who lost a daughter in the same plane crash and he, too, cannot recall ever having a daughter when the two meet for the first time after the accident. But Telly's persistence jogs his memory and he realizes he does have a daughter but he has no idea what has happened to her or what has caused his lapse in memory.
This movie offers some good suspense and some good shock value. You don't know exactly what will happen and you find yourself slowly putting the pieces of the puzzle together as the film progresses. And there are some great, shocking scenes. Be careful what you have in your hands when you watch this movie because there is a good chance you will end up wearing any food or drink that happens to occupy your fingertips.
On the negative side, this movie has some gaping holes in its plot and it leaves many questions unanswered. At the end, you feel relieved that Telly has found out the truth because you can easily see how this ordeal is driving her (and you) crazy. But you don't feel a sense of completeness with so many unresolved issues/questions.
Still, the Forgotten is a fairly good movie. It's not going to take home any Oscars and most avid movie goers will have "forgotten" all about this film a few weeks after viewing. But it still has enough positive qualities to give it a small recommendation.
23 FOR THE MOST PART, IT'S FUN
A GRIEVING MOTHER [JULIANNE MOORE] WHOSE SON DIED IN A PLANE CRASH ALL OF A SUDDEN FINDS HERSELF BEING THE ONLY ONE WHO EVEN REMEMBERS THAT HER SON EXISTED. AN OK PREMISE COUPLED WITH SOME DECENT ACTING SAVES THE FILM FROM BECOMING TOO MEDIOCRE. WHILE NOT A MEMORABLE MOVIE, IT IS WORTH A WATCH IF YOU BECOME BORED OR IF YOU SIMPLY JUST NEED TO KILL SOME TIME.
24 bad story. poor acting.
The Forgotten is a fill-in-the-blank thriller. You can almost hear the creative minds churning. "Ok," they say, "you've got this woman, with a son who died, and then one day, she's the only person who remembers him. Everyone else thinks she's crazy." Then, the creative minds slap each other on the back for coming up with such a marvelous idea, and they write a screenplay in about ten minutes, culling ideas from every other poorly designed thriller/mystery ever made.
The dialogue is cringe-worthy. The story is silly. Julian Moore, Alfrie Woodard, & Gary Sinise do not save it, they kind of make it worse. It's painful to watch excellent actors spew forth crummy dialogue.
This movie contains 90 minutes of time you'll never get back.
25 Doesn't live up to it's own promise
Summary: an ultimately ludicrous and forgettable thriller about a woman who can't forget her son who died in a plane crash and who then discovers a terrifying secret when those around her mysteriously begin to deny he ever existed.
Longer and with spoilers: Julianne Moore lost her son over a year ago, but takes a moment each day to sift through his old belongings, view him on old videotape and otherwise recall the last day that she saw him before he boarded the doomed plane. Her unwillingness to let go has taken a significant toll on her marriage, but her husband has stood by her and supported her care under a psychiatrist (played with appropriate reserve by Gary Sinise). The movie is at its most compelling in these early moments when the premise is just about a woman mourning the loss of a loved one. When an old family photograph that she cherished morphs into one of just her and her husband, the movie remains interesting because the audience -- like our heroine -- believes that the husband may be removing the child from her life as part of his own recovery (i.e. enough mourning, I'm getting rid of his photos from the common space). The plot thickens, however, when it's not just one photograph and the husband, the neighbor and even the newspaper accounts of the plane crash do not acknowledge that he ever existed. Her psychiatrist, at that point, solemnly states that she had never had a son. Rather, she is suffering from an extreme case of post-traumatic stress disorder on the heels of a miscarriage, and has totally created a child and family life that never existed. When she goes to pull out an old photograph to support her claim, well, of course her son isn't there. Unfortunately, the film takes an extreme nose dive from that point. Suddenly, there's the father of another child whose running with her, another man who seems to be everywhere at once and creepily silent, some secret agent dudes who exude bad intentions (without any reason), and a good cop who "believes" Julianne's version of the truth. And that truth? A dingo ate her baby! Okay, actually it was aliens. Aliens took her son and it was part of their grand experiment to see how long before people forget the deaths of loved ones. It turns out that some mothers just refuse to let go.
I really wanted to like this movie, but as people were literally snatched into the air by the Bad Aliens, they also ripped out any hopes I had for the film. Good use of lighting, good use of early suspense, but ultimately a real loss for the genre. Not recommended.
26 Movie & Soundtrack Are Superb
Excellent cast with strong performances by Moore, West, Roache, and Woodard. Suspense & the unexpected combine to keep viewers on edge. Upbeat ending. Although not a big fan of such films, I consider this to be one of the best I've seen in a long time. If some scenes don't literally jolt you, check your pulse! I LOVE the soundtrack -- bought it and listen to it often. I highly recommend it too.
27 Not what you think
The previews for this movie are so off. It makes this movie sound like its really all that thrilling and its not. I did not favor this movie and I am a thriller fan. I paid for this movie on demand and I want my money back. If i were you I'd only get this movie on netflix..and send it back the day you get it. Its not worth watching twice.
28 A really good X-Files episode!
It's all here: government agents, dark conspiracies, bulletproof aliens and pesky cops that poke their noses in places they don't belong. Even the name of Julianne Moore's character (Tully) is a play on "Scully." Her sidekick in the movie is tormented by the loss of his daughter (as opposed to Mulder's loss of his sister) to otherworldly forces. He also has that brooding moodiness about him that Duchovny made famous.
So why watch this one? First of all because of Julianne Moore. She does a fantastic job of playing the tough yet vulnerable mom searching for her kid. Plus, she's just gorgeous. Second, the spooky atmosphere that pervades the film. There is an underlying sense of threat that the producers did a good job of developing and sustaining throughout the story. Third, there are a few "jump out of your skin" moments that you won't see coming. Fourth, the movie explores the limitless love that parents have for their children, and how that love can overcome virtually anything.
Not great but definitely good, The Forgotten is a damn fine way to spend an hour and a half of your life. And remember - the truth is out there.
29 Bad Cheese
If you must see this, just rent it. The plot is just way too corny.
30 Can be easily Forgotten...
I didn't have a chance to see this movie in the theatre. However, I feel my luck turned out well by viewing this movie on DVD, where I could see two versions of the film with alternate (but similar) endings. After watching the movie, I found it be an average thriller which starts off great, but ends somewhat abruptly.
The story starts off with Telly Paretta (Julianne Moore), watching video tapes of her son, Sam (who is killed in a plane crash), and viewing various photo albums of him. One day, she sees the tapes erased, their photos missing, and she blames her husband for it. Surprisingly, her husband, therapist and neighbor don't seem to remember her son, and believe that she has invented him in her mind, as an alternate life. She meets her friend Ash, whose daughter used to play with her son, but he doesn't seem to remember even having a child himself. However, she finds a clue at his house, convincing him that he did have a daughter, and makes him remember. Together, Ash and Telly start a search as to what conspiracy is taking place and how they can get their children back.
Julianne Moore acted really well as Telly Paretta, as did the rest of the cast. The story is fast paced, with a lot of surprises that makes you jump off your seat. The plot of the movie is pretty good throughout, except the ending. For instance, the movie keeps proceeding gradually, keeping you guessing for most of the time, which is good. However, the downside is that, during the last 10 minutes of the movie, they suddenly speed things up, in account to explain everything. Furthermore, after the movie gets over, you are still baffled with many questions as to what the purpose of the experiments were, how long they were going on, and (if they were going on for a long time) what made Telly so special to remember her son, while other mothers seemed to forget?
All in all, I am glad that I saw this movie on DVD rather than seeing it in the theatre, as I would have felt a little disappointed in spending a lot of money, just to get confused.
31 Trash unless you are 10
This is for anyone who has never seen a single science-fiction episode of any program on television which tells you just how many times this kind of thing has been rehashed before and will be again. The film itself is terribly, painfully, slow with an ending that is even more stupid than the ones they had in arthouse 60s science-fiction porn0 flicks.
Trash unless you are 10.
32 Could have been Better ***SPOILERS***
The movie starts of pretty good but goes downhill ater the movie turns from a physcotic thriller, to a ripped of X-Files episode with car chases and special effects.
The story has a lot of plot holes like, the alien seem to have power to erase the videos and photos and even erase memories, but covers a wall with "wallpapers"? The experiment is so absurd and the movie does not explain most of the stuff. The movie could give more info instead of the flashbacks and Moore running.
I would recommend watching X-Files or other Sci-Fi instead of this movie.
33 ??????????
When I watching this movie, I was like this is a pretty good movie! But towards the end my thoughts changed. I thought it was so messed up and it didn't make sense. I guess that is the way the way the movie was suppose to be. This movie was ok, at least it killed few hours on a rainy day.
34 Twists and turns around every corner!
This film was very good. I really enjoyed sitting down and watching this. I was very confused at the beginning of the film. But, as time went along, everything started to make more and more sense to me. I was so shocked with how everything unraveled itself in this movie. I definetely recommend this movie if you are looking for a good time which will keep you wondering what is happening through the course of the movie!
35 I'm still trying to forget it
The Forgotten... What the heck was that? Around 15 minutes into this movie, I'm busy planning all of the heinous things I'm going to do to the guys back at the office for conning me into watching a chick flick. Then this thing took a turn. It didn't save the movie, but it was a turn I didn't see coming. Furthermore, this is one of those movies that you just cant talk about much at all without spoiling the surprise. But we'll try!
Julianne Moore stars as a mom who has lost her child in a plane crash along with several other kids 14 months earlier and is having a hard time dealing with it. While the movie is showing us all of these sappy emotions and psychological dribble, we're having Boogie Nights flashbacks of her saying "That's a giant..." Well, maybe we better not go down that road. Anyhow, she cant get over the loss of her son and her memories and neurosis starts getting real strange. And that's about all we can say without majorly spoiling the movie!
So what did we not like about the movie? Well, the first third of it is lamer than Scott Peterson's alibi. The movie improves slightly and has a couple of interesting visual effects that will surprise you. But it still drags, my immediate thought after the movie was that they should've editted out 20-30 minutes. And then I looked at the clock and noticed this was only a 90 minute movie. It felt more like 190, this thing drags.
This movie started out as 1 star, it pulled out a second star after the twist we cant talk about.
36 It was just ok
I like this movie until they brought in the possibility of someone from somewhere else abducting children. It made the movie seem unrealistic and stupid. I wish i had not seen this movie because it was a complete waste of time.
37 "There are worse things than forgetting."
I had heard, maybe on one of the special features, that the idea for The Forgotten (2004) came to writer Gerald Di Pego (The Trial of the Incredible Hulk) in a dream. I don't often remember my dreams, but when I do, they tend to be pretty weird...despite this weirdness, I generally keep them to myself because no matter how interesting you think your dream is, no one else will...seriously, how many times have you had someone go into great detail about a dream they had the night before, only to find yourself half-heartedly say, `Yep, that sure sounds strange.", and not because you truly think so, but more so because you just want the person to finish their story. I can go into all kinds of speculation about what dreams are, but at the end of the day I think they're just bits and pieces of information collected through the course of the day, stored in our subconscious, and eventually sorted through while we sleep. Does this mean someone should make a half-baked film based on these bits and pieces? Probably not... directed by Joseph Ruben (Dreamscape, Sleeping with the Enemy), stars Julianne Moore, whom I generally like in films like Boogie Nights and The Big Lebowski, but then wonder sometimes about her choice in appearing in such films like Assassins or The Lost World: Jurassic Park (I didn't think it was possible for me to hate a film with dinosaurs in it, but there you go). Also appearing is Anthony Edwards, who many may remember as nerdlinger extraordinaire Gilbert Lowell from the first two Revenge of the Nerds films (given all his post `Nerd' credits, I bet he hates when people bring up that role), Dominic West (Rock Star, Mona Lisa Smile), Alfre Woodard (The Core), and Gary Sinise (Reindeer Games, Mission to Mars).
Moore is Telly Paretta (every time her name was spoken, I couldn't help picture the late, great Telly Savalas), a woman struggling to overcome the grief of losing her son, who died in a plane crash 14 months earlier. She regularly peruses pictures, videos, handles the items once belonging to her son, and frequently remembers the last time she saw him, as he was getting on the doomed plane (this particular scene became quite tiresome in its' repetitiveness). Her husband Jim (Edwards) is worried as Telly's progress in returning to some sort of normality seems very slow, despite the aid of Dr. Jack Munce (Sinise), who is a psychiatrist, or some such medical professional...but what's this? Soon she's the only one who seems to remember her son, as all material traces begin to vanish, and those who once knew now seem to have, well, forgotten. Is she going crazy (that was my inclination), or is there something beyond understanding at work (possibly some ornery deity who enjoys yanking chains)? I'll never tell...unless you pay me...and then I'll spill my guts.
I did enjoy Julianne Moore's performance here, even though it felt like she was trying to squeeze a lot more from her character than there actually was (apparently Nicole Kidman was initially set to play Moore's part, probably due to her success in The Others, but other projects may have kept her from doing so)...the story started off well, and seemed to be heading somewhere, but then about halfway through I must have fallen off the train. The plot (actually, there seemed like three, separate plots working, sometimes against each other) didn't so much derail for me, but got sidetracked in the murky, mishmash wonderland of the obtuse. Soon after Telly becomes the only one who `remembers', the NSA are on her trail, floundering around, trying to capture her for some unknown reason. I don't know much about the NSA, short for National Security Agency, but I gotta believe they'd be able to deal with a relatively modest target as Moore's character. As far as the other actors, if you took all their characters and combined them into one, you might actually get a whole. Seriously, they'd drift in and out of the story, never really affecting anything, or leaving much trace of their presence (maybe it was meant that way). I did like the overall look of the film, as it seemed everything had a faint, steely blue hue, and a number of beautiful visuals (many historic NY landmarks), along with interesting shots and sequences that added to the feel of a reality slightly askew from the one we all know and love. The effects were well done, and kept fairly minimal, helping to preserve a footing in what's real, as opposed to the story which delves in the wholly unreal. Overall, I enjoyed parts of the film, but the good was about the same level as the bad, effectively canceling each other out, leaving you with...what? Nothing? Not really...perhaps a movie worth renting, but nothing to go out of the way for...check out Dark City instead.
This edition contains two different endings and allows the viewer to pick which version on the film they want to watch. I've seen this done on other DVD releases, but rarely are we allowed the choice to watch an entire film with these different endings, leading me to think there was some radical difference between the two...which there wasn't...one ending, the original (the one I prefer, probably because it's shorter) didn't go into as much detail as the alternate, but both shared virtually the same outcome. The widescreen anamorphic picture looks wonderful on this DVD, and the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track is quite lively. Among the special features there's a commentary track (for the theatrical version) by the director and the writer, a 20 minute featurette titled Remembering the Forgotten, another 15 minute featurette titled On the Set: The Making of the Forgotten, deleted scenes (there's three including the alternate ending, if you don't feel like watching the entire film again), theatrical trailers for the film, and a slew of Columbia/Tristars previews.
Cookieman108
38 The Remembered? Not Quite
My parents liked The Forgotten. I mean, really, really like it. Once a week, they would ask "did you see The Forgotten?" And then when it came out on DVD, "did you rent The Forgotten?" Finally, they just bought the CD, propped toothpicks under my eyelids, and made me watch it.
Telly (Julianne Moore) and Jim Paretta (Anthony Edwards) and Ash Correll (Dominic West) have lost their children to a mysterious plane crash. Telly is a wreck, but she's trying to get better. She regularly visits a psychologist (Dr. Jack Munce played by Gary Sinise) to help her deal with her son Sam's (Christopher Kovaleski) death. Ash finds his counseling at the bottom of a bottle.
Then one day, all evidence of Sam disappears. And suddenly, everyone in Telly's life has forgotten she ever had a son.
It's a mother's worst nightmare multiplied by a thousand: it's bad enough that Telly loses her son, but her inability to grieve makes her pain all the worse. Convinced she is not insane, Telly tries to convince Ash that he had a daughter who also died in the plane crash. When she makes some progress, things get weird.
It's to the movie's credit that Telly and Ash never sleep together. This is a character piece, not a popcorn flick. Just in case the guys get bored, I should point out that we do get to see Telly in some decidedly unmatronly underwear. But that's about as hot as it gets.
Things go from bad to worse as NSA agents and a very weird guy that never blinks (Linus Roache) begin stalking the pair. They finally get a break when they turn the tables on an agent, knock him out, and begin forcefully interrogating him. When pressed, he finally admits, "they're listening." And then...
And then...
Well you know what happens because you saw the trailer. Indeed, if you've seen the trailer, you've correctly guessed the big secret behind the entire movie. And that's a shame, because the movie hangs much of its suspense and terror on that curious plot point.
Plot-wise, there are a lot of problems with The Forgotten. The fact that Ash (an ex-hockey player) and Telly (an editor, if I remember correctly) become these amazing commandos who can put the drop on an NSA agent seems fishy. That they then become an amazing Good Cop/Bad Cop duo that can wring the truth out of said agent is preposterous. But then, the movie doesn't invest too much in logic.
That's not to say that The Forgotten is boring. Once the first agent gets sucked up into the heavens, you're always waiting for it to happen again. Too bad the characters act as if they never witnessed such an event. I don't know about you, but if I watched the roof get blown off of a cabin and a grown man shoot skyward, I'd be burrowing underground and hiding in subways. I would NOT 1) stand outside, talking about the insanity of it all, 2) drive in open country, talking about the insanity of it all, 3) run around on beaches, talking about...you get the picture.
The movie really hinges on Moore's acting ability, which is in full strength here. At least, her tear ducts are; it's a rare moment when she's not weeping. Still, she manages to switch between motherly love, heartbreaking sorrow and parental rage with expression alone. West makes a great ex-hockey player, but he's a little too conflicted to scratch beneath his surface. Just about everyone else is window dressing, or worse, mumbles their lines. That includes Sinise, who really deserves more respect.
Joseph Ruben expertly directs the movie, with long floating shots and stalker-cam views. Almost all of The Forgotten is filmed with a blue lens, and the music is perfectly matched to the mood. Let there be no doubt, The Forgotten's got style.
But ultimately it's a movie without a lot of depth. The alternate version explains things a bit more but has far less pathos. In the end, The Forgotten feels a lot like a really creepy Twilight Zone episode than a fully formed movie.
39 come on, really?
TOTAL GARBAGE. I recognize the need for actors, like Julianne Moore, to get large paychecks from rubbish like this in order to subsidize riskier and smaller budget choices. But this is really bad.
40 Should be "Forgotten"
I am trying to think of something positive to say about this movie and I can't. The makers couldn't decide what they wanted to do and the movie is a total mishmash that leaves you shaking your head in the end.
A woman remembers seeing her son off on a plane and him dying in a crash with a friend's daughter that she knew from the playground. Nobody else seems to remember him and all traces of his existance seem to have been wiped out.
When she comes upon her "friend" he has also forgotten that both their children ever existed. The woman forces him to remember his daughter and then he decides to help her. The movie implodes from that point on and not even Alfre Woodard can save it. It seems like the director thought he was making another Matrix type movie whereas he was making a mishmash that couldn't decide whether everything was caused by aliens, gods, magic, or what. Don't bother with this one.
41 oh please
The forgotten, if you would please pardon the cheap humor, is something to be forgotten.
The opening,the introduction, and everything that comes first was actually quite intriguing. There was no cheap humor or thrills, the acting was, well.....But the story, that's what got me. It was the kind of plot where it rang shrilly of a cliche, but no ordinary cliche. The forgotten sounds, at first, like a ususal story, but it is presented as if the usualy story will be solved in an unusual manner.
What an embarrasment that notion was.
Before you can even start the formulation that this is a 5 star movie, everything crashes. Crashes and burns. The mystery element is extinguished, the scary, eerie feel is dropped. In fact, everything is dropped.
The story takes a nosedive, the lines become stupider(I just want my boy back!), the characters fall apart, the movie is filled with cheap thrills that are so predictable, the plot shrivels and perishes, and it just all falls apart. Everything, from the story to the thrills to the crappiness of the movie, it all becomes so darn obvious.
I'll give this movie three stars only because i liked the beginning, but the poorness of the end, and middle, for that matter, do nothing short of justifying the beginning.
This was almost as bad as the stepford wives, and that's saying something.
42 MOORE'S MEMORY LAPSE
I had high hopes for THE FORGOTTEN. As I watched the first half of the movie, there were some compelling sequences and a couple of generally frightening scenes. Julianne Moore and Dominic West were doing a great job in involving me in their plight. One could sense sinister underpinnings from Anthony Edwards as Moore's husband and Gary Sinise as her psychiatrist. Then, halfway through, the movie takes a strange turn and once you realize where it's taken you, you feel cheated. It has one of the most anti-climactic and outright dull endings in recent movie history. Even the alternate ending included on the DVD doesn't make up for the movie's lack of commitment to the viewer. Who is doing this? We are never really told. Why are they doing this? We are never really told. And by the end of the movie, where are we timewise? Before or after the fateful plane crash scenario? It's a shame because it could have been a much better movie had the writer and director respected its audience a little more. Writing a plot that is so open-ended and where everything is left to the viewer's own interpretation does not spell good moviemaking to this viewer.
43 The Vaccum Effect
I saw this movie the other night, in the dark, with very low expectations. Somehow, this movie failed to live up to the expectation that it would be aweful.
It should be noted that the trailer to this movie is many, many times better than any moment of the acutal film. Julianne Moore's acting, and I love Julianne Moore, is histarical and bizarre. Many times during this movie I laughed and smiled at what was going on, and the actors responses to it. For example, in one scene someone falls out of a high building through a glass window and dissappears. What's funny is that there is still glass where the man was, and yet, nobody walking down the street seems to notice that glass and wood just rained down upon their heads.
Furthermore, the storyline goes from sporadic and slightly interesting to totally goofy and hilarious. There's some sort of vaccum in this movie also which seems to have a fun time eliminating people left and right (if you've seen the original trailer you might follow me here). *Don't worry, I'm not giving things away...this was revealed in the trailer.*
Bottom line, the film has an intreguing storyline, upon reading, but once the film starts, the storyline is bogged by poor writing, poor editing, poor directing, and even poor acting. This leads to poor sequences, a lack of climax ever, and virtually no suspense or interest. The ending isn't strange, it's not a big twist, it's just stupid. Nothing is explained, and I don't mean nothing is explained like David Lynch, I mean the storyline the movie trys to grasp is never in hand. Not only do characters get sucked out of their houses in this movie into oblivion, but similarily so does the audiences cash and interest. Wow, this movie is one of the worst movies I've ever seen, thank God for the unintentional humor.
44 Not to be Forgotten, this is not a scary movie.
The Forgotten is not a scary movie. It is a mystery/suspense type. When watching the trailer, it comes off as a horror or thriller type film. I think they would have been better off promoting this is not as a thriller/horror film, but as an alien invastion type movie. Then maybe some of the scenes might have come off alot better. Sort of as a surprise to the viewer. The most excited I got, was when someone was abducted. Also, the man who was sort of overseeing the plan by the aliens to erase the memories of the two parents whose children had been abducted, was pretty good as a frightening type character.
Overall, the movie had it's moments but could have been much better. Too many drawn out sequences that made you lose interest at some points, only to be drawn back again by a pretty descent storyline. In short, remove the lulls, and you've got yourself a fairly good picture.
It is worth renting, if I had a chance to do it over again, I would not have bought the DVD. So to make myself feel better, whenever I have company, I put the movie on and hype it. LOL.
45 watched it a second time and i realized...
this movie stinks, annoying acting, stupid ending beyond belief...special features are non-existint dont be sucked in to that (2 movie versions crap) it's not just a different ending which sucks horribly....worth and rent thats it..
46 The Forgotten can be slightly remembered.
At first, I was really into the movie. I really wanted to know what was going to happen. Toward the middle, I started to lose a little interest. I would have given this movie a better rating if it wasn't for the ending. I wish they would have done something else with it instead of having it come off so weak. Overall, it's worth a rental when there is nothing better on TV.
47 Interesting concept, but the final product is insubstantial
This average supernatural thriller is worth only two and a half sentences from me. The plot is only marginally interesting, and it actually develops much too quickly; the viewer needs more time to get acquainted with the characters.
48 Boring stuff here folks, but . . .
While I found Forgotten to be pretty boring, it does have a couple of good moments worth seeing. Rent this one and fast forward to about 1:10 into the picture and watch the action. It's worth seeing. I was totally surprised!
49 Forgotten...best forgotten
Poorly written, poorly acted and poorly directed, there is enough in Forgotten to dissatisfy most people.
The movie follows a mother played by Julianne Moore, who is still in mourning over the death of her son a year earlier. This tragic event takes on an extra level of grimness when all records of her son begin to disappear: except for her, no one remembers him, and photos, newspaper articles and other documents no longer prove his existence. Either Moore is crazy or something sinister is going on, and when shadowy government figures get involved, we know it's the latter.
In theory, this could be a good movie, but the story is executed so poorly that its potential quality remains a mere hypothetical. Perhaps the most grating moment comes around a third of the way through the movie, when Moore visits a man who is the father of another child who died, but who cannot remember his daughter. Fortunately, the power responsible for these existence-erasings - a force powerful and intelligent enough to alter minds and documents - just bothered to poorly wallpaper over the girl's room, allowing Moore to expose the conspiracy.
There are other laughable idiocies: the government agents who have no idea how to arrest a person, allowing chases that could have been avoided if they were semi-competent; the police detective who - with little real evidence - easily believes Moore's tale of conspiracy; and so on. Rather than relying on cleverness to move the story along, this movie uses dumbness. In a comedy, this might work, but not in this humorless horror movie. If you feel an urge to watch this film, find an old X-Files or Twilight Zone episode instead. You'll be much happier.
50 A great thriller
Spoiler alert!
We begin this film with Julienne Moore's character, Telly, talking to her therapist about how often she looks at her son Sam's things. Sam died over a year before in a plane crash at sea, so we think.
This movie takes a look at the love a mother has for her child and the bond that creates and asks what happens if that bond is severed.
Julienne Moore gives an emotional performance that had me feeling the pain her character was going through. She plays Telly Perretta, a woman who is not sure if her son ever existed, or if she made him up because of a stillborn pregnancy and is losing her mind.
Dominic West gave a wonderful performance as a single father, which I love seeing, who has also lost a daughter in the same accident. Unlike Moore's character, though, he has forgotten that he ever had a daughter. Ash was a hockey player for the NHL and now has a raging drinking problem. I felt it was a tad bit unrealistic that Ash would give up drinking on the spot, apparently never have another craving, and all because of a couple of dirty looks from Telly Perretta.
Gary Sinise, of Forest Gump fame, gives a wonderfully understated performance as Dr. Munce, the therapist that tries to convince Telly that her son never existed. He seems so empathetic and genuinely caring that it didn't make me hate him when it turns out he is working for the bad guys.
Alfre Woodard has a small roll as Detective Anne Pope. Only Woodard could take this small, but important character, and turn her into someone that sticks in your mind. She is a New York City detective who is called in when Telly and Ash go on the run to try and find out what happened to their children. There is a great scene between Woodard and a couple of NSA agents where Woodard really puts the agents in their place.
Linus Roache plays the alien conducting the experiment that causes Telly and Ash so much pain. He does very well with giving off a mysterious air until the end when all is revealed. I have to admit, my favorite scene with Roache is when his experiment fails because Moore remembers being pregnant and he looks up, says, "I need more ti" and is sucked into the sky. I still haven't figured out why Roache is mysterious and rather stoney faced throughout the movie, except for when Sam is getting on the airplane. I feel like he should never have showed emotion if he was an alien, but that is just my humble opinion.
Anthony Edwards deserves a mention as Jim, Telly's husband. He does come off as a bit wishy-washy, but it plays perfectly in the context of the movie. I love the scene between Jim and Telly when Edwards' character has forgotten Telly. He manages to give that vibe of friendly and a little interested, but not at all slimy.
I really like this film because it doesn't rely on blood and guts and gore to be scary. The suspense is well timed, there is romance, but no softcore porn. I love the underlying message, that love can conquer all. My seven year old loves scary movies and being scared, but it is hard to find movies that are not too violent and full of blood and guts and not full of sex. This movie fits the bill perfectly.
51 Lousy crud
The Forgotten was lame and unsatisfying. They started with a decent premise and managed to milk it for a few good thrills, but ultimately the story went nowhere and didn't really make any sense.
I have no objection to science fiction movies that set their own rules about what can happen and what can't. But the rules need to have some kind of logical or conceptual basis, like there was a thought process that went into making them. Otherwise, as is the case with this movie, the whole thing just comes off as being a cheap, unconvincing, ripoff.
For a GREAT science fiction movie that deals with similar themes, try Dark City.
52 I forgot
how bad movies have become but this one will remind you that you don't need a plot to create one.
horrible.
53 A Missed Opportunity for Greatness
SPOILER ALERT - This review reveals a major part of the ending.
This is a very well-directed episode of "X-Files" starring Julianne Moore, Gary Sinise, Alfre Woodard, Linus Roache, Dominic West, and Anthony Edwards. Unfortunately for fans of the actors, Woodard and Edwards have little more than cameos, and Sinise isn't given much chance to show off his incredible talent. But the casting is uniformly excellent, and the acting is pitch-perfect.
I have to admire the director. He gave the movie a tense, somewhat spooky feel that never allowed you to look away. And the script carefully avoided explaining too much about the aliens, choosing instead to replace mundane details with an unsettling sense of mystery.
Up until the last five minutes or so of the film, I would have easily given this movie four stars, with five stars not being out of the question. But when all the twists are over, when the truth is revealed and Julianne finally learns why her son was stolen from her, the movie takes a sudden right angle turn that makes no sense whatsoever.
Here comes the spoiler. It turns out that Julianne's part of an experiment conducted by the aliens, and unlike the unknown others who have had children stolen from them, Julianne never forgot her child.
I can accept that. It's a fantastic plot: what if we were caught in some elaborate maze, performing tricks for unseen alien audiences? There is nothing wrong with the premise of this film.
But since it's a movie with a big budget and all, the possibility of a sad ending is never an option. In any reality other than Hollywood's, Julianne's child would have been killed right after he was abducted. The aliens had no use for the boy. Why would they possibly keep him alive? When Julianne refused to forget her son, and the time frame on the experiment ran out (because everyone knows aliens wouldn't conduct experiments without time constrictions), unsuccessful alien Linus is evidently destroyed.
But Julianne isn't reduced to steaming ashes or swooped into the sky like every other character. Instead, she is magically teleported back home, to eventually reunite with her son. To add to the ludicrously safe ending, Dominic West and his abducted daughter also pop up to provide a happy, Brady Bunch ending (complete with the "Good Housekeeping" seal of approval).
If this had been an "X-Files" episode, Julianne would have died, leaving nothing behind, and the FBI agents would have driven out of town, with either Mulder or Scully providing a sad and somewhat disturbing voice-over that would haunt viewers long after the episode ended. Or perhaps Julianne would be allowed to live, but when questioned by Scully, she would forget (oh the irony) she ever had a son because the aliens would have fried her mind into Cream of Wheat. And then the FBI agents would drive off and do the voice-overs.
But Hollywood has to have a happy ending, even if it makes no sense and virtually destroys everything an excellent cast and director can achieve in one and a half hours. So all the little children are safe, a mother's love defeats all odds, and the aliens leave our planet a little wiser.
Oh, by the way? If aliens can erase children from photographs, they can probably erase drawings from the wall too, instead of wallpapering over the pictures and leaving major tears that will enable the main star to dramatically reveal proof that what was forgotten really did exist. I just thought you should know that (in case you forgot).
54 Really enjoyed this movie
A lot of people didn't like this movie for the plot twist, but I think it's still a great movie. Julianne Moore is definately the cream of the crop for me in terms of actresses and she does not disapoint. This is a really suspenseful movie that still has me truly engaged when I watch it, even though I know the outcome! She plays Telly, a woman who's son has died in a plane crash a few years ago. She's having trouble moving on. Suddenly, her husband and psychiatrist tell her that she never had a son, that she made him up as a result of having a stillborn baby years ago. She sets out to prove that she indeed did have a son, and to find out what really happened to him. She encounters Ash (Dominic West) who had a daughter that was friends with her son Sam. He doesn't remember at first, but after she exposes his daughter Lauren's room by uncovering the wallpaper in his office, he remembers. Suddenly they are on the run from the FBI, both trying to prove that their children existed, and are still alive. I found it to be very exciting and suspenseful, and even with the plot twist, an enjoyable movie. Great performances all around.
55 Confusing But Gripping
Even after seeing this film I'm still not sure what to think. I mean, it did hold my attention throughout the entire film but I'm still not sure what really happened.
Telly 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.
That's the plot but I don't understand it.
56 Beam transporter needs some fine tuning
When Captain Kirk ordered, "Beam me up, Scotty!", he didn't have this in mind.
Julianne Moore is Telly Paretta, a grieving mother that lost her 9-year old son in a plane crash months previous. Her memories of him are vivid. Trouble is, her husband (Anthony Edwards), shrink (Gary Sinise), and a former baby-sitter, claim that the boy never existed. In psychiatric techno-babble, she's "nuts". It doesn't help that any pictures of Telly and her son together now display with the latter missing. Creative PhotoShop editing by a guv'mint conspir'cy, perhaps? Or maybe space aliens?
The beginning premise of THE FORGOTTEN is engaging enough through the first half or so of the film. Then, as Telly gets closer and closer to the truth, the plot becomes ridiculous. First, the National Security Agency (representing that inevitable guv'mint conspir'cy) makes its appearance, then ... well, Kirk would have had Scotty up on charges for heavy-handedness with the transporter. The film's concluding scene at the children's jungle gym in the park made me pause for a moment and reflect on the disconcerting inconvenience that time warps would add to our lives.
Moore, who can be my Mommy anytime she wants, is a wonderful and gorgeous actress who deserves better. Who's her agent, anyway? In any case, her fine job in this stinker is the only reason for more than a two-star rating.
57 This movie really makes no sense
This movie was contrite, unrealistic, nonsensical, a waste of my time. Why would aliens care so much about the mother and child bond and work so hard on making people forget things? It's a stupid forced non-scientific experiment. If this was a real experiment, then they would have accepted that she wouldn't forget and not try to kill her or whatever they were doing.
And it's only one person they proved that couldn't forget, she was the only one, what does that tell you about the human race. One person couldn't forget...ooohh, wow, that doesn't tell you much about the population. Why go to so much trouble to get her? It's just such a silly premise. The screenwriter must have been a man who has womb envy or something.
This movie looked interesting in the beginning until aliens popped in and ruined the whole plot. And the aliens don't make any sense either. I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone unless you like this sci-fi garbage. And no, I don't see any existential or great philosophical message...this was a poorly written and directed movie.
58 Forgotten by Critics, Beloved by Sci-Fi Fans
OK, what is wrong with you people? Did we even watch the same film? Selective memory syndrome maybe? Let me get to the point; this movie is Soooo underated- it is a crime!
Don't listen to these arrogant knuckle-heads who judge every movie through wine stained glasses; this is a truly great film!
If you like suspense, creativity, good-acting, and hate the predictable, cliche' hollywood movies- then go rent this little gem- it's a psychological thriller that does not stop thrilling!
Now let me break it down for you: I consider myself to be a very picky movie goer; within my DVD movie collection (400+) there isn't one movie rated below three stars (by the so-called "film critics" that is). Based upon the bad press "The Forgotten" received I too ran the other way when I noticed it frequenting my local theater. Moreover, I practically had to be begged to watch it on video by a close friend- as a result of all the bad reviews it had received.
As I watched, I kept trying to guess the plot twists, I kept waiting for the bad acting, the hollywood formula, essentially- I was waiting for the movie to suck- as promised. But to my pleasant surprise, that never happened.
This movie has gotten such a bad rap. I was totally impressed with it's subtle story telling and potent plot twists. I love the way it challenges convential thought; much as films like
"The Matrix", "The Butterfly Effect", and "The X-files" do.
Maybe if the director had inserted more gratuitous sex-scenes, violence, fight-scenes, and the explosions we have come to expect from this genre- maybe then this movie would have received more critical acclaim. Regardless, please rent this one and judge for yourself!
Peace
59 A film that is not to be forgotten. Ha ha ha! Ahem.
The plot of this film was fairly original I would say, and the progression of interesting events included was easy to gain an interest in. The Forgotten tells the tale of a woman whose son supposedly died in a plane crash, who suddenly begins to find all of the evidence that she ever had a son being erased before her very eyes. After teaming up with another man who had lost a child to the plane crash, she begins an escapade to find out what has truly happened to their children (the way all ends up I shall not tell!). Intensity is presented in many sections of the movie, such as when the two main characters have a CIA agent in their custody and behold as he is yanked by an unseen force up through the roof and away into the sky above. There wasn't much to say negatively about this movie, maybe just that not quite enough happened to satiate; but I would still give four stars to this film.
60 Forgetable
The Forgotten is a movie that wants to be big and extravagent, but fails in one thing - a lack of a plot. Instead the movie is just 2 hours of a crazy plot that goes no where. Dont waste your time.
61 A Good X-Files Episode
This was a disappointing movie from the story perspective. The plot was intriguing, acting was great, and special effects were startling, but the answers to the questions were about as challenging as a dream scene. Rent it on a dull night and save your money to buy an M. Night Shamalan movie.
62 Enjoyable Sci-Fi with an Interesting Idea
Frankly, the low average review on this one surprises me. "The Forgotten" is an enjoyable Sci-Fi movie set in the current day with a bit of suspense and mystery. It's got a strong plot line and is a lot better done than the recent DVD releases Troy, Dogville, and Sky Captain. The more you know about the plot beforehand, the less you'll enjoy it. I found "The Forgotten" to be interesting, thought provoking, and absorbing.
63 RENT IT, THEN FORGET IT
This movie is worth one viewing I guess. Good enough to fill
a lazy afternoon or uneventful evening, hardly worth a second
showing though. The plot does not hold together very well, the
characters are rather shallow. We don't get to know much about
them aside from the main theme, which made it kind of hard for
me to empathize with them or their quest. On the other hand, it
does have some intense action sprinkled here and there though
out, and and some interesting plot twists that you may or may not
see coming. I was waiting for something big and unexpected at the
end. Came away disappointed on that. I hope I was able to help
in some way, I'll leave it to some of the other reviewers to
give away the whole movie (I hate that)!
Thanks,
Tom
64 An easily forgetable film
I can see it now, the sreenwriter is sitting down at his Mac, he is typing like a man fueled by what would seem to be;a good idea. All of a sudden, the idea runs out of steam and he is at a loss for words. What ever is one to do? He gets up from his chair, drinks a cup of coffee, turns on the TV, flips through the TV for awhile, until he lands on a re-run of the X-Files. UREKA!!!! The writer then jumps up from his Berka lounger, and finishes the rest of the script.
Well, I can't say that this is how it really happend. But I don't think I'm to far off either. The Forgotten starts off strong and is somewhat successful in creating tension, but as the movie progress; the story, and the acting start to wain. Julian Moore is a wonderful and talented actress, it's a shame that she did this film. Nothing against her, I just think she may have read the un-finished scrpit, thats all.
Do I think this was a bad movie? Not really, I just think it could of been done so much better.
I was talking to a friend one night, and she was saying that she was sick of all the re-makes Hollywood pushes each year, because they always re-make the good films, films that don't need to be re-made. She then went on to say, what they need to do is re-make the some what not so good movies, and maybe make them better. If ever a movie was more deserving, it is The Forgotten.
65 A FASCINATING THRILLER!
"The Forgotten" is a fascinating sci-fi thriller where the horror is psychological instead of phyisical, and the enemy is not defeated by physical force, but by a Mother's love! Julianne Moore gives an exciting and emotional performance. Gary Sinise, Dominic West and Alfre Woodard give great performances in supporting roles.
"The Forgotten" ranks right up there with "The Sixth Sense" and "Signs" as one of the creepiest thrillers of all time! Fans of the genre will not be disappointed! Movie/DVD Grade: A-
66 WHAT THE HELL (spoilers)
Ok ok ok, so it was all an alien experiment to find the maternal instinct. Got it, great movie.
Seriously, the beginning was really good and showed a lot of promise. It kind of started falling when that guys' head morphed into some alien and started screaming? What the hell was that, man? I felt so awkward sitting there with my friends knowing that they were all stifling a laugh as well.
Horrible... skip it.
P.S. I think they should've not showed the aliens at all, would've been better IMO.
67 Like an X-Files Episode
The Forogotten certainly had the potential to be a great movie, but it is just weighted down by a B-Movie plot about (**SPOILER**) alien experiments on parents. The best thing about the movie is Julianne Moore's wonderful performance as a mother who refuses to forget the son everyone tells her never existed. In the end, it's that mother's love, that fetal link between mother and child, that is ultimately the undoing of the alien experiment. Because of that, the movie is certainly worth viewing. If you have the opportunity, watch both the theatrical version and the extended alternate ending. In my opinion, the theatrical ending is the much better of the two. The alternate ending is just too X-Files for my tastes.
68 "surprisingly good!"
After seeing the preview, I thought this movie was going to be terrible and unoriginal. It turns out that this is a pretty good movie with a very thought provoking storyline. It was creepy, with jump-out of you seat moments I haven't felt in a long time. The acting was decent but it was the storyline I was more interested in. After so much horrible, mediocre, and unoriginal sci-fi/suspence films in the past year, this one is a breath of fresh air. Is there really life beyond earth?
69 great movie
the forgotten was one of the best movie ive ever saw in a long time. that features a well known cast.
70 Good movie, bad movie studio
The movie was pretty good...after I could get it to play. I have an ILo DVD recorder and this DVD would not play. The menus would load, but when I started to play the movie it would just freeze the player. I tried it in another player and it worked. I looked in many online forums and found others with the same problem. Apparently it has something to do with the new Sony ARccOS copy protection on this DVD. It is supposed to prevent people from copying the DVD on a PC (but I read that software to defeat this came out one day before the first DVD with this ArccOS was released).
71 Pleasantly surprised at how good it was!
I went into this movie not knowing what to expect, but the previews had piqued my curiosity unbelieveably.
I did not expect the major plot twist, but I thought they handled it beautifully. Julianne Moore, normally not a favorite of mine, was just amazing in her role as a mother who will go to the ends of the Earth to find her missing son. I love Gary Sinise, and he played his part well as always. He was the only person I "figured out" early on. The rest of the movie kept me guessing.
The ending left me a little wanting... there was so much unexplained... but at the same time, it would have been too much to get overly specific and would have ruined the whole premise (IMO).
I disagree with some reviews I have seen (not here) that have compared it to The Sixth Sense. It's NOTHING like that movie at all.
Really great cast, excellent acting, all in all it's an A+ from my view.
72 A not bad sci-fi thriller, a not great movie
The Forgotten is okay. Some parts are much better than others, but it is never boring to the point where you would give up watching through to the end. Julianne Moore is (as usual) great and lifts this movie up due to her perfomance alone. Some good moments, a couple a chills and a less than thrilling conclusion, but worth a viewing if your in the mood for a B-level thriller.
73 A Film That Shall Not Be Forgotten
The Forgotten was one of the best films of 2004! I highly enjoyed this film. This was a great dramatic thriller. It had emotional depth to it as well as thrills. Julianne Moore gave an inspiring performance. The Forgotten is a film that shall not be forgotten at all!
74 Awesome...
This is one of those films that you are blown away by...the action scenes are great, and it was everything that I expected in the film and more....a little weird, it takes you to places that you never thought that it would....awesome movie...go out and rent it today....
75 Average + Anticlimactic = Dull
The Forgotten is a psychological conspiracy thriller about a mother's quest to find out the truth behind her deceased son from whom the rest of the world tells her never existed. At best, there's a few "thrilling" parts to it, including probably the best and most effective car crash I've ever seen in a movie, a couple of kinda freaky parts with people being sucked into the sky and an alright idea for a story. At worst, a lot of the dialogue in the movie just flat out seemed phony to me, especially in the early scenes where Telly (Julianne Moore) is freaking out on her husband for changing the picture and freaking out on her psychiatrist for telling her that her son Sam never existed. This rather cheesy dialogue in this early of the movie made the rest of the film hard to take seriously.
The biggest drawback in the movie for me was its anticlimactic ending. Very non exciting and predictable. I watched the ending of the extended version with the alternate ending hoping that maybe it was just the studio's fault for producing such a weak ending, but I honestly couldn't tell any difference between the theatrical ending which I just watched and the alternate ending. So all in all, offers a couple of okay moments for a thriller, but is just too dull and anticlimactical for my taste.
76 Eh...
The storyline isn't the most original I've ever seen. The acting isn't half bad, but I had trouble swallowing the ending because it just doesn't seem to fit quite right.
Don't read on if you want to know what happens.
Julianne Moore is grieving over the death of her son Sam 14 months earlier. He went on a plane with six other children and it "crashed"...Or so that's what everyone has been brainwashed/programmed/told(they never really get into how exactly everyone forgot the existence of the six children, or what exactly "They" were.) "They" begin to start slowly messing with Telly's (Julianne) mind by making her seem as though she's delusional and forgetting everything. Like when she goes out to her car and there's a man sitting in his car across the street where she parked and she asked if he's seen her car because that's where she parked it last night and he points to her car on the other side of the street and sais, "It happens, I forget where I park my car all the time." Or, when she's at her therapy session and she reaches over for her coffee, but there's none there and she asks him where her coffee went and he sais she didn't have any today, and she proceeds to say that she can still taste it in her mouth, he explains that because she smells his coffee, she's relaying that into her mind so that she can "taste" it, but she didn't actually have any. So, the few remnants of the memories of her child like pictures and a video tape all of the sudden are empty. She is very upset and confronts her husband who sais they never had a child. They both go to the therapist and he tells her that she is suffering a psychotic break and that she made up a whole different life with a child, and that none of it was real. She refuses to believe this and goes to see the father of another child who was "killed". She rips all of the wallpaper off that covered his daughters room, but he still doesnt believe her and the feds come and take her. He stops them because he suddenly remembers his daughter and they run. They continue to run from the feds and play detective and try to figure out what is going on. So, it turns out that it's all part of an "alien"(?) experiment, that really doesnt have anything to do with the children, but the parents and the mothers maternal instinct for her child. Everyone in the world mostly the feds know and cooperate with "them", and some, like the therapist know and cooperate, most others are just their guinea pigs.
So...it's pretty much just a sad excuse for an X-Files episode turned into a movie.
77 Not forgotten
Fourteen months ago Telly and Jim Paretta lost their son in a plane crash that also took the lives of several other children. Telly has been in therapy, hoping to come to terms with the loss and move on with a normal life. Now she notices that things are different. Her son has disappeared from the family photographs, and any other evidence of his existence has also vanished. Her therapist and her husband tell her she's finally coming back to reality - that their son never existed in the first place, and her "memories" were merely post-traumatic delusions brought on by a miscarriage. Is it really a case of mental illness, or is she being manipulated by a greater force? Who would have the power to rearrange her life that way?
To say more about the story would be to spoil it. Its sustained sense of paranoia is reminiscent of The Twilight Zone or The X-Files, with its frequent bird's-eye views giving the viewer the impression that someone is always watching (a very nice touch.) There's a heavy aura of mystery over the film right up to the end, where much is revealed - but not too much.
The artful cinematography, shot mostly in cold blue tones, helps raise the film stylistically above the mass of generic thrillers that are regularly issued. It's really quite beautiful, as is the score by James Horner, with its prominent piano. I don't normally register music scores as I'm watching a film, but this one stood out. Not in an intrusive way.
The DVD includes both the theatrical cut and the extended cut with an alternate ending, though it isn't so much a different ending as a slightly different way of getting there. Both have their merits but I think the sequence in the extended cut works better, and is played better by the actors as well. In addition to this sequence there are also two brief deleted scenes which you'll see integrated with the extended cut. There are two featurettes which should only be watched after you've seen the movie. Finally, there is a moderately interesting audio commentary by the director and screenwriter.
78 tired plot yields disappointing film
I chose this movie under the assumption that it would be a psycological thriller with perhaps a touch of the supernatural much like the 6th Sense. Instead, it turned out to be a cliched government conspiracy, alien UFO movie. At times I thought I was watching a poorly made episode of the X-Files. Is it a coincidence that Julianne Moore plays the red-headed lead named "Telly", while the X-Files female lead was another red-head by the name of "Sculley"? Maybe I'm paranoid, but this movie stinks. The writers could not even come up with a plausible reason for the aliens' experiments. The DVD contains 2 endings, both of which were garbage, but the theatrical ending was actually the worst. Julianne does a compentant job playing a grieving mother, but the rest of the cast is forgetable. Julianne seems to be a fine actress, but when has she ever picked a good script? At least the title is appropriate since this movie should be among the forgotten.
79 Just rent it
I don't love it nor I hate it. It seemed like an ok movie.
I just think the director meant to make you think that having a child in life is wonderful. Nice.
The story line is average. Although I have seen similiar material like this with the 'X-Files' 'Fire in the Sky' and 'The Arrival'
Nod bad piece of work. Just one question though; Where's the FULLSCREEN version?
80 awesome movie
this was one of the best movie ive ever seen. that has alot of suspense scenes too it.
81 great movie
the forgotten was a fantastic movie to watch. that has alot of jawbreaking scenes.
82 Great idea, just needed more development
This movie opens up very well and I am pleased with the development of both the characters and the story. You are left wondering what is happening at the beginning and your mind is racing with possibilities.
However, about an hour or so into the movie, things are just thrown at you. It is almost like the writers had where they wanted to go in mind and just forgot to fill-in the details. I was ready to be pushed and pulled, and finally be given a resolution. Instead, it was a huge build-up with a quick ending.
Needless to say, I was overall dissappointed. I would have given only 1 star except for some decent effects, including a cool car accident scene that made me jump.
83 Disappointment
The first part of this movie is very intriguing. As time goes forward Julianne Moore's son first disappears from photos, then from her husband and friend's memories. You really start to wonder if her psychiatrist is right and she's made the boy's existence up altogether. Then NSA agents show up and I was really confused and even more interested. Unfortunately from there on, the movie cops out. When I found out what was going on, I deflated like a balloon. Aliens running experiments? Gee, haven't seen that before in movies, tv shows, novels, short stories, etc. It seems like the writer came up with the idea for the first part of the movie and then didn't know how to end it and what he came up with is neither original nor good.
84 Awful movie
I can forgive the implausibility of the premise, the stupidity of the characters (especially the alien), how the 'right' person just happens to be there at just the right time. What I can't forgive is how the screenplay cheats the audience by tacking on a ridiculous X-Files ending that is supposed to wrap everything up oh-so-nicely. This is taking the easy way out, applying an entirely non-creative solution to a puzzle that cried out for some imagination.
I feel cheated out of two hours that could've been spent watching something so much better. If you're a Julianne Moore fan, she has much better films than this!
85 Has an unpredictable ending and is scary too
I really liked this movie. I thought it was as scary as "Darkness Falls" and for the scary movie genre it was a stand out because I did not predict the ending. In fact, at a couple of times toward the end of the movie, I thought for sure I knew what was going to happen and both times I was wrong! I knew virtually nothing about the movie before I saw it, other than the trailors. I think that is probably one of the reasons why I liked it so much. If you know about certain aspects of the plot, I could see how you might not like this movie as much. So I'm not going to say a whole lot about the content of the movie beyond what I have already said, for that reason. So, if like me you don't know a whole lot about the plot, I would recommend not reading much about it and just rent it and see what you think.
86 "Just tell me where my son is!"
The Forgotten is a surprisingly entertaining thriller, most notable for the performance of Julianne Moore who readily throws herself into the role with her customary abandon and bravado. Part psuedo science fiction, and part supernatural mystery, the producers can probably be forgiven for the many plot holes, and unanswered questions; also, you know there's really a problem when malevolent looking federal agents try to cover up the evidence with mere wallpaper. But the movie is certainly beautiful to look at with the gorgeous Julianne constantly bathed in ghostly and ethereal hues of blue and grey that contrast startlingly with her fiery red hair- there's also some fabulous aerial views of New York City, the symbolic significance of which becomes obvious later in the movie.
Questions of loss, grief, and the special union between mother and son form the thematic center of the Forgotten, as Moore plays Telly Paretta, a woman haunted by the memory of her son Sam. The child died in plane 14 months ago, and her worried and affectionate husband, played by Anthony Edwards, and her composed, consoling psychiatrist, Dr. Munce (Gary Sinise), try in vain to help her cope with her sudden loss. She constantly watches a video of Sam, moons over photographs of him, and lovingly touches a baseball mitt that he left behind. Telly is obviously exploring the emotional pain and grief experienced by a mother, and is trying desperately to move on. She's recently decided to return to her job as a freelance editor.
It soon becomes clear that things are not as they seem. Sam's image mysteriously begins to disappear from the photographs, and then her husband, her doctor, and even her neighbors tell her that she never had a son. Telly is convinced they are wrong, and fiercely maintains that her son was real. One night, in the local leaf blown and windswept park, she meets the drunken 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 in booze and fiercely denies ever having a daughter. At first he thinks Telly is crazy but then he uncovers some evidence, and is forced to face up to the truth.
There's lots of gratuitous action - mostly a lot of running - interspersed with some quieter moments as Telly and Ash try to reconcile their differences and stay focused on finding out whether their children are really dead and where they might be hidden. There's also a constant eerie and peculiar atmosphere created as Telly becomes convinced that both her and Ash are constantly being watched by "something." The acting is pretty good, with Moore and West giving the strongest and most provocative performances, and the interplay between them is full of tension, but also interspersed with some nice moments of quiet intimacy. Moore is particularly good - bringing a blunt, gustiness to the role, and she is totally convincing as a mother who obviously had a very special bond with her son. Telly and Ashe are two very different people who normally wouldn't have had much to do with each other, but who have been flung together through monumental adversity.
The cinematography is quite beautiful and the film generally has a great sense of pacing. Viewers will find themselves trying to figure whether there is some grand conspiracy or not, but the eventual resolution, while surprising, still leaves a lot of questions unanswered. But with all its faults, The Forgotten is an interesting, mind twisting thriller, that effectively explores the intensity of memory, the sadness and desperation of grief, and how the human mind ultimately handles these intense emotions. Mike Leonard January 05.
87 nice film
the forgotten was a nice film. that has stunning visuals, and has a nice storyline.
88 great
the forgotten was a hot movie too watch. that has a wonderful cast, and has some great scenes
89 dont expect much...The Forgotten is forgettable
The movie starts out good with Julianne Moore (Boogie Nights, Far From Heaven) who is married to Anthony Edwards (Tv's E.R., Revenge Of The Nerds) and the suffered the loss of their younger son from a plane crash and there were other children on it as well. What she has left is photos and video footage of her son but things start to go weird when she sees that her son is not in a picture. She then starts to breakdown and her doctor...Gary Sinise (The Big Bounce, Snake Eyes) thinks he made up her son in her imagination. Moore meets Dominic West (Rock Star, HBO's The Wire) who's daughter was friends with her son but he swears he doesnt have a daughter but then when he says her name as he stands in her old room he starts to remember, so Moore and West run around the city being chased by guys in nicely pressed suits and the cops as well. The end result was predictable...why, well if you watched the trailer..you knew it was gonna be the green creatures but they take the form of humans. The message was that the beings took the children to observe the parents. The funny thing is that the aliens created a airline....hilarious. Though the only impressive scenes would have to be when the people get sucked up into the sky but otherthen that...it's not even that scary and it's pretty much like I said, predictable. Also starring Linus Roache (Hart's War, Wings Of The Dove) and Alfre Woodard (Crooklyn, Mumford).
90 Intriguing premise but leaves you dissatisfied
This film has a lot going for it but ultimately just doesn't live up to its ambitious premise. The splendid cast can't compensate for the screenplay, which is both too thin and too ambitious. The most intriguing segment of the film was the beginning, where the Julianne Moore character is told that her memories of her nine-year-old son are the result of a post-traumatic psychosis, and we see some good acting as she struggles with this concept. Unfortunately, this is resolved rather quickly and we then plunge into the BIG CONSPIRACY, which struck me as a maddeningly inconsistent hodgepodge derived from many precursors, yet lacking in any unique or "gee whiz" special effects. The film leaves a boatload of loose ends and made me nostalgic for some of the stronger contenders in this genre, in which category I would include the stronger episodes of The X Files.
91 Don't Waste your Money
This movie achieved a whole lot of nothing in the 96 minutes of pointlessness. The DVD boasts an alternate ending which is just as disappointing and useless as the original. I really don't know why they bothered to make this movie because nothing of real substance actually occurs. Overall I would say don't watch this Hollywood movie studio crap-reel, where they throw a bunch of useless scenes at you and expect you to pay to watch it.
92 Pretty Good---
I expected this movie to just be some lame flick with no real value, but if that what you think about it as well just give the movie a chance. It has really good suspence, and a really creepy twist. Its really good!!
93 A better option <<< DARK CITY >>>
Rent or buy DARK CITY
The story was lifted from this flick.
94 there is no place for 0 stars....
I don't know what to say....it's a stupid movie....just skip it please.
95 Sadly I thought we were past this...
... time when movies about a mother's love for her son is sacrosanct. I think what rubs me the most is that the father in this movie forgets his daughter only to be reminded of her by Moore's character. I find the subtext of this disturbing.
This is a not-so-veiled misandrous film of giant proportions and rates up there with 'Enough' with Jennifer Lopez and the truly awful 'Panic Room' with Jodie Foster not to mention 'Unfaithful' with Richard Gere.
I don't know when this treasured narrative will dared to be rewritten and filmed showing that evil can be and is visited upon the innocent by both sexes, fathers and mothers, husbands and wives. I hope it is soon.
96 Julianne Moore, Dominic West try to find their children.
Thanks to BLOCKBUSTER VIDEO for not telling me anything about this film except that it is a suspense-drama. This one has an excellent surprise climax.
A woman (Julianne Moore) is still mourning her son 14 months after he is gone. She regularly sees her psychiatrist who is trying to help her get back to normal. Then one day all the photos in her album are gone and the home movies are blank. her husband (Anthony Edwards) tells her he did nothing to them. There is no child. later, she talks with her lunch-friend. She doesn't know about her son either. Everyone tells her their is no son. She goes to the library. She can't find the newspaper story about the plane crash.
One night, she meets a man, Ashton (Dominic West). His daughter use to play with her son and they died in the same plane crash. This is just the beginning of the story.
DVD includes the theatrical version and a choice to play the Extended Version with Alternate Ending.
Please watch the theatrical version first, so you will be totally surprised.
97 The Forgotten
The plot of The Forgotten feels like a poorly executed attempt at an episode of the X Files. As the answer to the puzzle of the missing children is slowly revealed to the viewer, it becomes progressively less believable and ultimately ridiculous. All the tension built up through the first part of the movie is just lost in a predictable and unsatisfactory ending.
Having said that, the movie isn't all bad. There were at least 2, maybe 3, scenes that caused the entire theater to leap right out of their seats. It was great to see Alfrie Woodard for the first time in a long time, albeit in a role unworthy of an actress of her talent. The first half of the movie is intriguing, and had the(ultimately unrealized) promise of a fairly good thriller. It was enjoyable as a free sneak-peak, but I'm glad I didn't pay $8 for it.
98 A sad and moody movie that ends up being the wrong story
"The Forgotten" is a strange movie to review. I really like the performances in the movie and most of the scenes are very effective (although there is much more running and car chasing than a psychological drama really needs). However, the premise of the movie completely undermines the actual story presented on the screen.
Unfortunately, I can't really talk about the plot twists because I don't want to give anything away. However, let me say this. Given what is finally revealed in the movie, if that is the real universe this movie inhabits, the story as presented is actually meaningless. Yes, Telly Paretta's (poignantly played by Julianne Moore) story is sad and we feel for her. However, there were several characters in this story, given the final state of things, whose story would have been much more interesting and central. This story is like focusing on a farmer whose pig goes missing in Stalingrad in December 1942 and treating the Nazi invasion as incidental because the farmer gets his favorite pig back. I mean, aren't there bigger issues here?
Anyway, the disk provides an "extended version with alternate ending". There really isn't much extended here, but the alternate ending is better, but still is not enough to really save the movie.
So, ok if you like Julianne Moore and if you like sad, moody tales. However, if you leave your brain turned on please remove any hard throwable objects from your immediate viewing area or you could end up losing your television.
99 Clunky Thriller
Certain moments made me gasp or hold my breath. Others left me going, "That's it?" I'm sure that other people, who have seen the trailer and heard the hype, may be left thinking just that-- This is it? That's all? Come on, give me a little bit more! Despite it's shortcomings, The Forgotten is a passable thriller that will at least keep you guessing, even if you don't feel like guessing any more.
Julianne Moore is Telly. She's grieving for the death of her 9 year old son, killed in a plane crash. She's seeing a therapist (Gary Sinise) who tries to help her cope and her husband (Anthony Edwards) is understanding. Everyday she goes to her son's dresser and looks at photos and holds his baseball glove. One day at the dresser, the photos are gone. It's like her son has been erased. Her therapist tells her that she never had a son; she miscarried and imagined a life with a son. She doesn't buy this theory at all, confident that there is a conspiracy. Ash (Dominic West) is also a grieving parent (his daughter died in the same plane crash). But suddenly one day, he doesn't remember his own daughter, until Telly rips the wallpaper off in one room, revealing that it was in fact his daughter's room. The two spend the rest of the film together, running from people who keep chasing them for reasons we don't know and trying to figure out what the heck happened to their children and their own memories.
It is a bit clunky. The overall premise is exciting. What would you do if one day someone told you that you never had a child? Or husband? Or wife? But the payoff in the end is, I feel, a cop-out. Short of giving the end away, I'll just say that it's very X-Files-ish. So if you like that show, you'll probably like this movie. It does bend your mind and about 60 minutes in, you'll be rubbing your head wondering what in the world is going on. Julianne Moore and Dominic West are great together, stopping to be sad just when they've stopped being chased.
Check this out sometime, it's an interesting ride. RECOMMENDED!
100 Outstanding!
I just got up from watching this outstanding movie. Here we have a young woman who believes she had a child, 9 year old Sam, but who is told that the child only exists in her mind.
Even her husband tells her that, but she cannot let go of the belief that he truly lived, and was killed in a plane crash with a group of other children.
This movie was a real pull on the mind. You knew what she was feeling was true or there would be no storyline, yet could everyone in her world be in on the evil of making her believe Sam never existed? Interesting! And to find out it was forces not of this world was really entertaining.
I loved some of the scenes when the characters were pulled out of this world, it was great, just where did they go anyway? And having a happy ending for mom and child was the cream on the cake. Of course, one can't help but wonder what happened to all the other children that were 'forgotten.' All in all I think this movie was very good and I believe you will enjoy watching it.
