Review of The Forgotten (2004) by Ryan H — 09 Jan 2012

Powerful, moving, suspenseful, riveting, and in parts... scary as all heck. I jumped, I cried, I got involved in the characters. I watched the movie twice, twice, knowing what was coming, fully knowing how it ends, and still I cried the second time.

I was completely surprised at how much this movie grabbed me, I've been watching so many movies lately I've become rather jaded, or so I thought, anyway. Not only did it hold my attention (I had intended to only watch halfway and continue working...the work got set aside) with the suspense but with the emotions.

It could very well be that it's because I'm a woman and a mother, and the pain of losing a child is something every mother can relate to, whether it's from personal experience or just knowing the fear of possibly losing your child. What mother hasn't lost sight of her child, even for a moment. In a park, in a crowded store, you look away for a split second then turn around...and they are nowhere to be found. Even if it lasts 30 seconds...panic sets in making it the longest 30 seconds of your life.

It was for that reason, the way Julieanne Moore accurately portrayed a mother in grief and yet never, ever giving up. She never forgot.

Why this movie didn't do better at the both the box office and the awards is beyond me. While it's true a few of the special effects where a little...odd and missed the intended mark a bit, the movie overall was very well done. The DVD has 2 versions of the film, the theatrical release version, and the "extended" version with the "alternate" ending. The only thing "extended" about the second version was that by including a couple of scenes that were cut from the released version, the plot actually made sense. The alternate ending was hardly "alternate", but again, it included footage that tied the whole story line together, and made it all make sense. And yes...watched the extended version immediately after watching the original. Knowing what was coming, I still cried.