Psychological thriller 'Forgotten' is tribute to maternal love

By Jack Garner
Gannett News Service

THE FORGOTTEN (PG-13) Three Stars (Good) Julianne Moore stars in this fast-paced thriller that blends a tribute to maternal love with psychological twists and more. Joseph Ruben directs. Columbia, 90 minutes.

The "more" is something we're not going to get into, because the very nature of "The Forgotten" begs critics not to reveal very much. Suffice it to say, "The Forgotten" offers a few parallels to the paranoia that ran through such sci-fi horror flicks of the '50s such as "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers." Moments may also remind filmgoers of the darkly psychological elements in the M. Night Shyamalan ("The Sixth Sense") film canon. Other elements offer a strong challenge to credibility, although you may be involved enough to sufficiently suspend your disbelief.

Beyond that, we'll offer only this brief preliminary outline:

Telly Paretta (Moore) is tormented by the memory of a 9-year-old son who she believes died in a plane crash 14 months earlier. Her husband, Jim (Anthony Edwards), and her psychiatrist, Dr. Munce (Gary Sinise), insist she's delusional. They argue her only pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, which triggered artificial memories of a child who never existed.

Telly is convinced she's going mad until she encounters a man, Ash Correll (Dominic West), whose young daughter also was supposedly on the doomed plane. Together, they pursue the question of their own sanity, while police, federal agents and the psychiatrist give chase across Manhattan and Long Island. "The Forgotten" is fast-paced and gets quickly into its story, generating tension and moments of surface excitement on a par with director Joseph Ruben's earlier explorations of families under dark clouds, including "The Good Son," "The Stepfather" and "Sleeping with the Enemy."

For example, a few chase scenes — on foot and in cars — are invigorating, and the film offers a couple of legitimate jump moments. But like other Ruben films, "The Forgotten" resonates little beyond the end credits.

The cast is certainly first rate, with Moore struggling mightily as Telly to convey the sense of a mother in anguish. Yet, filmgoers may find themselves considering the concept behind writer Gerald DiPego's script more deeply than Telly's pain.

Rated PG-13, with profanity, brief violence.