Plot: What’s it about?
With a title like Unforgettable, you inevitable lend yourself to much criticism. “The film was forgettable” “This was anything but” You get the idea. While the plot itself seems like something left over from a previous decade or so, it’s actually very entertaining and far better than it has any right to be. While not a classic, and still succumbing to clichés that are hard to overlook, it makes for a perfectly acceptable modern thriller. It feels like a film that once flooded the market, but now is somewhat a breath of fresh air compared to the countless remakes and superhero films.
We begin with a scene showing Julia Banks (Rosario Dawson) being interrogated about the murder of her psychotic ex-boyfriend, Michael. Evidence is strong against her, but Julia is insistent it was self-defense. We then flashback to six months prior. Julia is leaving her job as an editor to move to California with her finance, David Conover (Geoff Stults). He left his previous career to focus on a brewery, and is successful in a recent franchising opportunity. David has a daughter named Lilly with his previous wife, Tessa (Katherine Heigl). To say that she’s a controlling mother is something of an understatement. When she and Julia first meet, things are kosher, but Tessa eventually pushes her way back into their lives. Lilly doesn’t care for Julia’s cooking, and Tessa takes over one time when she comes over to eat while David is out. One night, Tessa steals Julia’s phone and runs a background check and even creates a fake Facebook account in her name. She sends provocative messages to Julia’s ex and this will eventually lead into the scene that opens the film. There are other plot elements that I’ll leave out, but I appreciated the attention the film gives to the characters.
Taken at surface level, it’d be easy to knock Unforgettable, but the film has extra layers of depth that make it better than average. We get a supporting role from Tessa’s mother played by Cheryl Ladd. This gives us a lot of insight into why Tessa is the way she is. I appreciated that the characters are also flawed. Indeed, Tessa could simply be the “villain” of the film, but the film at least has some empathy towards her. Julia also has a rough history with her ex as well. I found the contrast between the two female leads interesting as well. Where Tessa doesn’t want to let go of her previous relationship with David, Julia is struggling to forget hers. We learn that her ex was abusive and Julia even has a restraining order against him. All these little details enhance the film and make it a cut above the rest. Despite things becoming more familiar in the last act, it’s still worth checking out. There’s even a small twist to the ending as well.
Video: How’s it look?
Maybe it’s just me, but this movie kind of feels a decade old. Perhaps it was the lighting, the way the film was shot, the costumes…I really can’t put my finger on it. Don’t get me wrong, Warner’s 1.85:1 AVC HD image certainly delivers the goods, but it just has an odd look to it. Contrast is strong as are black levels, detail is spot on and we get a nice, neutral and warm color palette. My comments aside, there are a few scenes in which the image seemed a bit soft, but nothing to get in an uproar about. It’s a new to Blu-ray film and certainly looks as such.
Audio: How’s it sound?
I wasn’t a huge fan of the included DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack, then again it didn’t have a lot of opportunities to flex its muscle. For the most part, it’s a pretty basic mix with some directional effects mixed in with some surround effects for some additional ambiance. Vocals are clear and crisp, nothing to complain about on that front, and the LFE get involved a few times as well. While it’s not bad by any means, it’s simply just not too memorable either. It more than serves its purpose, though.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Reclaiming What’s Yours: Making Unforgettable – A pretty standard “making of…” EPK that covers all the bases and checks off all the boxes. Interviews with the cast (namely Heigl and Dawson) highlight some behind the scenes footage and whatnot.
- Director’s Commentary – Director Denise Di Novi provides a fairly interesting track. While the movie itself left a bit to be desired, listening to this did make a few things make sense (and I won’t give those away). It’s not screen specific as she tends to wander, but fans will get a kick out of it.
- Deleted Scene – The lone deleted scene gets some additional explanation via the commentary by Di Novi. I do like the commentary on deleted scenes, though I have to imagine there would be more than one?
The Bottom Line
Films like Unforgettable used to be a dime a dozen, but have become more scarce these days. I found it somewhat refreshing compared to what floods the market these days. On the surface, it seems like another cookie cutter thriller, but it’s well made and better than these films usually are. Rent it.
