Not Forgotten

Category: Drama  |  Tags: drama

posted by: MovieFreak 75 days ago          

I saw a pre- screening of Not Forgotten directed by Dror Soref. This movie is awesome! I can't wait for it to come out. Everyone has to see this. Simon Baker- the handsome guy from the Mentalist, Paz Vega- sexy woman from Spanglish are in it. Claire Forlani also makes an appearance at the end.
The plot is so deep and intricate. It keeps you guessing till the very end. This movie has so many twists and turns.
The movie is a thriller, and a thrill-ride, in that it takes very unexpected twists and turns throughout—almost from the get-go. What was refreshing about this film was that it always stayed several steps ahead of the audience.

Most modern audiences figure out films too easily. I can emphatically state that this will not be the case in Not Forgotten.

The tale follows a family living in Del Rio, Texas—a typical border town, between the US and Mexico. Although it starts off with scenes of girls’ soccer games and hotdogs in the town squares, it quickly takes a turn to a darker side into the occult—the Santa Muerte cult (which roughly translates into “Holly Death”).

When the daughter of successful bank manager is kidnapped, it sparks a chain of events that don’t stop igniting until the very end. This is the story of Jack Bishop (Baker) delving into his past in order to find his only daughter. Not only does the search involve the entire community of worshipping denizens of Del Rio, it encompasses the seeder inhabitants of the dark, back alleys and brothels of towns just South of the Border. It also takes us into up close and personal with the depths that humanity can fall to—to view it face to face.

But the most chilling aspect was the narration by the kidnapped Toby Bishop. It’s particularly haunting, as she’s narrating days after her disappearance—at her own vigil.

Considering the frightfully frequency of female abductions in the US border town—the film touches on the “what if”—in this case, what if the pre-teen Toby has been taken to Mexico and forced into prostitution. Her father states in no uncertain terms the lengths he is willing to go, the depths he will travel to find his daughter—no matter what he has to do find her abductors. In the words of Toby Bishop, “There are just some things that you can’t ask the Virgin for…”

Baker’s transformation is enthralling. From soccer coach dad, to terrifyingly revengeful about getting his daughter back. No more mister nice guy isn’t even close when he his got the perpetrators in his sights. The sheer brutality and Baker’s cold dedication, make this one of those scenes that you can’t forget.

Not Forgotten is told in classic storytelling fashion—in the vein of Hitch [profanity removed] . It is beautifully shot and full of surprising details. The cast, not just the leading but all of the supporting characters are tremendously strong—making this a very well crafted tale. The director is an imaginative filmmaker who creates art with suspense.