R2 DVD Review: Not Forgotten
Not Forgotten (2009)
Distributed by Anchor Bay Entertainment
Directed by Dror Soref
Starring Simon Baker, Paz Vega, Chloe Moretz, Claire Forlani
Review by Ben Bussey
Jack Bishop (Baker) seems to have it all; a beautiful young wife (Vega), a wonderful young daughter (Moretz), and a very comfortable life in a small Texas town just north of the Mexican border. But it all goes up in smoke when his daughter suddenly disappears without a trace. While he and his wife struggle to keep it together, the Sheriff’s department and FBI puzzle over what happened. But as the matter is pieced together, it brings to light certain things Jack would prefer to keep hidden; traces of a somewhat different life he had before and, indeed, a different man he used to be. Jack comes to suspect that his daughter’s disappearance is down to his old life catching up with him, and that if he wants to get her back he will have to head down those old roads once again, into a world of violence, vengeance and the occult mysteries of La Santa Muerte.
Yes, Jack’s old life may be behind him, but it is – wait for it – Not Forgotten. Alas, whether the same will be said about this movie after viewing is another matter entirely.
Don’t get me wrong, Not Forgotten is by no means a bad film. There is much here that may intriuge and entertain, not least the choice of setting. Particularly to one such as myself in dingy England, the Texan/Mexican locations are very pleasant to look at, humming with heat and sleazy exoticism; that intoxicating blend of liquor, neon and Christian iconography, with decorated skeletons all over the place. The practices of La Santa Muerte are bound to capture the interest of anyone with a taste for movies that delve into pagan or otherwise ‘alternative’ religious practices, The Wicker Man and Angel Heart chief among them. However, Not Forgotten has less in common with those films than it does with A History of Violence; that much should be evident from the whole ‘secret, violent past’ element. But it’s safe to say that this film is not remotely in the same league as Cronenberg’s underrated modern classic. A big part of the problem with Not Forgotten has to be its reliance on twists. There are a few in there, and none of them really come as a surprise, which rather defeats the object.
Another problem may be the casting. Despite his best efforts, Simon Baker simply isn’t that compelling a leading man. This wasn’t too big an issue in Land of the Dead, wherein he had an illustrious supporting cast (and, of course, zombies) to share the spotlight, but for the large part he is the focal point of Not Forgotten, appearing in near enough every scene. It doesn’t help that in the flashbacks to his previous life he’s painted as such a cartoonish bad boy cliche (dark hair, soul patch, white vest). Even less helpful, even though it’s only a brief appearance, is the casting of Claire Forlani. Just a thought, filmmakers; when casting a Latina bad girl, might it be a good idea to cast, I dunno, an actual Latina…? (Before anyone says it, yes, I’m aware that Baker isn’t actually American either; and no, that isn’t such an issue.) Of greater appeal is Paz Vega, who convinces as the caring wife and stepmother; and sure to be of particular interest is Chloe Moretz, given that with Kick-Ass and Let Me In on the way she seems to be cornering the market on enfant terrible roles.
I know nothing of director/co-writer Dror Soref (interestingly, it seems his career to date has largely consisted of Weird Al Yankovic videos), but on this evidence he’s certainly competent enough, knows to make things look good and how to get good work out of his actors. Once againm there’s nothing inherently wrong with Not Forgotten; it’s well-intentioned and overall well made. There’s just some elusive ingredient missing that keeps it from being satisfactory. You won’t resent yourself for watching, but you won’t begrudge yourself for missing it either.
