Not Forgotten

For the upcoming writer or director of a movie there is a myriad of choices when it comes the all important decision of electing a genre there is a myriad of potential types to select. Much to the utter dismay of many film buffs it appears that an increasing number of new independent film makers are choosing the ‘slasher’ variation of the venerable horror genre. I am quite sure that this type of movie presents its own unique challenges and can afford a reasonable learning experience but after all taking it from a producers point of view all you really need is a lot of fake blood, a few immodest actresses and a mere modicum of a story to hold everything together. For a small investment the returns in the home video market can be quite profitable. With this in mind some extra consideration should be afforded to the new film maker who tackles a genre with a significantly greater degree of difficulty. They may decrease the general acceptance for the film but they a bound to learn more that will serve then well in their continuing careers. An example that I came across recently was with the film ‘Not Forgotten’ by Dror Soref. He could have gone down the well worn path making yet another slash and dash flick but he set his sights higher than that. The result is a reasonably well constructed psychological thriller. Admittedly the movie has some notable flaws but the film comes across delivering solid entertainment. I have to contend that I would much rather watch a flawed film that was the result of an earnest, whole hearted attempt by people that care about their crafts than one that may be more commercially viable but obviously done for a quick buck. With ‘Not Forgotten’ some aspects could have gelled better but it came across as an honest effort. It may not garner a lot of awards but it makes for a very good popcorn flick.

Dror Soref directed the film having written it in conjunction with Tomás Romero. Soref previously directed several videos for the musical satirist 'Weird Al' Yankovic and brought home a couple of Indy film festival awards for his first feature length movie, ‘The Seventh Coin’. Romero’s prior script was the ‘tween flick hit ‘The American Mall’. Now this may seem to be the most unlikely pair of resumes to be successful jumping head long into a very difficult format but the truth is they made great strides to making it worked. As a whole the film fell short of its potential but it was not for lack of trying or innate talent. The most important element in the psychological thriller is to form an emotional bond between the audience and the film’s protagonists. While this is vital to most genres here it is especially important since the story will deal with the mental and emotional state of the characters. The story here allows enough time for the characters to grow and be fully developed. The setting used is a border town set between the American Southwest and Mexico. Locations like this have been in the news recently as result of the debate over immigration issues. this was used to good purpose here by allowing the audience to initially believe the movie would be straight forward so when the plot takes a darker turn it comes as a welcomed relief. In an attempt to be fair the film provides a strong look at talent in the making. The direction and editing could have used some tightening especial in the end of the second act to help strengthen the impact of the conclusion. There is a touch too much that reads as tongue in cheek for this type of film. In part this is an experimental movie with the cast and crew playing against expectations. The pacing is far t (too slow to be truly effective. The difficult the movie encounters is not getting to the point quick enough. In a thriller there has to be more moments that cause the audience to grip their armrests.

Jack Bishop (Simon Baker) and his wife Amaya (Paz Vega) live in little border town with their young daughter from his first marriage, Toby (Chloe Moretz. Their lives are typically pleasant enough that is until Toby becomes the victim of a kidnapping. Since the crime occurred on this side of the border it comes under the jurisdiction of the FBI. Initially evidence suggests the kidnapper was a known pedophile but that is dismissed as a mistake in favor of a local cult. During the investigation some peculiarities regarding Jack’s background are uncovered; it appears that prior to about a decade ago there was no trace of Jack Bishop. Complicating matters further was no evidence supporting the existence or death of Jack ‘first wife.

The cast does a lot to set this above the rest of its peers. Baker is gaining a reputation as entertainment’s golden boy. He had a solid series, ‘The Guardian’ cancelled after a single season before it could find an audience. He must have a great agent since the dirt had not settled on the grave of that series before he hits big with the next show; ‘The Mentalist’. He has a natural charisma that audiences rapidly respond to. Playing opposite him is the beautiful Ms Vega who is also gaining momentum expanding her career to here in the States. The film is available in both standard DVD and Blu-ray both once again the high definition gives a far greater sense of realism and an incredible level of detail.

Posted 10/31/09