BOTTOM LINE: What’s incredible about this film is that such a talented bunch of cast and technicians could do such great individual jobs yet be so woefully directed overall; “The Forgotten” has an intriguing premise that is at the end of the day badly executed.

THE GOOD: “The Forgotten” starts off under an aura of curious mystery. We learn that Telly Paretta (Julianne Moore) has lost her son in a plane crash, and her psychiatrist Dr Jack Munce (Gary Sinise) is helping her work through her loss. From the outset, things are not as they appear with Telly becoming more anxious and upset when as each days passes, memories and reminders of her son begin disappearing out of her life with no one around her knowing what she is talking about when she questions what is going on. Eventually, everyone tells her she never had a son at all. Is she delusional or is there something more at work? It is a great place to start a mystery/thriller and immediately pulls you in to its story and Telly’s plight, particularly as played by Julianne Moore who conveys such a warm, genuine and emotional mother that you cannot help but feel for what she is going through. Eventually she finds another man, Ash Correll (Dominic West) who is going through the same experience with his daughter and the two of them set out to find out what really happened to their children. Before long, police and secret agents and chasing them and eventually they realise that an other-worldly force beyond our power and control is behind everything. The strengths of this film lie in its cast and crew. All of the actors do wonders with the material they have been given, particularly Julianne Moore and Dominic West who really convey the emotions of anguished parents searching for their children. Gary Sinise is very down to earth, portraying the futility inherent in the situation with much gravity. Behind the camera there is much to appreciate as well, notably the camerawork by Anastas Michos and the haunting musical score by veteran James Horner. “The Forgotten” plays almost like an all-right X-Files episode, with its other-worldy and mystery elements.

THE BAD: The film runs off the rails, largely thanks to its totally inept and thoughtless direction. The cast and crew were doing their jobs, but it seems that the execution of the overall concept was put in the hands of an amateur. When the other-worldly forces become more visible through the film, everything becomes increasingly silly. The film turns from a heart-felt drama/thriller in to a Z-grade sci-fi/horror film that is close to the levels of what Ed Wood would have created. We learn that these supposedly outer-space beings are running behavioural experiments on humans and that the government knows about it; this concept is hardly original but its given an unintended comedic feel in this film, especially in one sequence at the end when one of these alien-things (I’m assuming they are alien because it is never really explained) transforms from its human form in to a goofy satanic looking figure for a few moments. Poor Alfre Woodard suffers the most; in her final scene as the honourable police detective she is desperately trying to convince Telly that she believes her before being sucked in to the sky by an unseen force in one of the most ridiculous looking moments you are likely to see. If nothing else, it will make you laugh. And if that was not enough, you get to see this “character getting sucked in to the sky” moments a few more times before the film ends. The tragedy of this film is seeing such seasoned professionals trying their hardest to make it all work but were ultimately let down by their director.