There is nothing creepier than watching a movie in which the main character discovers that she is schizophrenic and has imagined every event in her life (you know you were paranoid after A Beautiful Mind). There is nothing more enthralling than watching a cheesy alien movie (you've seen Independence Day. Don't lie). The Forgotten, contrary to what one might think, is neither.
After Tilly (Julianne Moore) is artlessly portrayed as a distraught mother struggling to cope with the death of her son 14 months earlier, the question is raised: is she delusional, or did aliens abduct her son? I realize that every big actress gets one flop, but I would have expected more from Moore. Though the film attempts to deal with a deep concept -- the connection between a mother and her child -- its ends with the main question unanswered.
Except for a few exciting chase scenes, a couple of surprise attacks and a few aggregate instances of decent cinematography, the movie fails to impress. Director Joseph Ruben completely fails in his attempt to make a Matrix/Terminator/Aliens remix by inserting melodramatic dialogue and way too many flashbacks. Fortunately, for both Ruben and Moore, this movie will soon be forgotten.
