The Forgotten

Directed by Joseph Ruben, "The Forgotten" (Revolution Studios) provides a reasonably absorbing 90 minutes of undemanding suspense, though Gerald Di Pego's script is hardly airtight. Julianne Moore heads a blue-chip cast as Telly Paretta, a grieving Brooklyn Heights mother who has lost her young son in a plane crash more than a year ago. Now, under the care of psychiatrist Dr. Jack Munce (Gary Sinise), she's trying to wean herself from obsessing on her son's memory by endlessly perusing old photographs and fondling his toys.

Gradually, though, her mementos of the boy start to disappear. The treasured family photos, for instance, are now mysteriously missing his image, and Munce and her husband, Jim (Anthony Edwards), sit her down and tell her point-blank that the boy never existed and that she's delusional.

In desperation, Telly seeks out retired hockey player Ash Correll (Dominic West), the father of one of the other victims, whom she knew slightly when (she says) her kids played together. Ash, now a heavy drinker, doesn't remember Telly and denies ever having a daughter. Eventually, he calls the police on Telly, after she rips the wallpaper off a room in his apartment, revealing a child's drawings underneath.

As she's being whisked off in a squad car, though, Ash suddenly remembers his daughter, and facilitates Telly's escape from the police and the federal agents who are now, for some reason, involved in apprehending her as well.

The two embark on an investigation -- punctuated by car chases and running for dear life -- to unravel the mystery of why everyone seems to have lost their memories of the children's existence.

Meanwhile, Munce, who himself is determined to track down Telly, persuades a sympathetic police detective (Alfre Woodard) -- who thinks there may be some truth in Telly's assertions that she once had a child -- to let him tag along.

All the performances are good. Moore gives her all, in a depiction of mother love at its most fervent. That fine British actor Linus Roache, from "Priest," plays a mysterious man who keeps turning up throughout the film. He and fellow Brit West both prove adept with their American accents. Lee Tergesen, a regular from HBO's "Oz," has an effective bit as an agent who may hold the key to the mystery.

There are at least three moments that may make you jump out of your seat, and director Ruben maintains a taut mood, even as you see loopholes in a plot that doesn't entirely avoid a feeling of contrivance. So, too, there's a sense of deja vu with plot elements from films like "So Long at the Fair," "Gaslight" and "Bunny Lake is Missing."

For a thriller, violence is kept to an admirable minimum. There are no sexual situations at all. Even when Telly and Ash must hide out in various hotels, the filmmakers avoid the cliche of them falling in love, and even have them sleeping chastely in separate beds. If there's any physical attraction, it's understated, as their main objective is to discover who's playing mind tricks with their memories, and what really happened to the children.

Because of some rough language and profanity, and a few intensely jolting moments, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

These movies have been evaluated for artistic merit and moral suitability by the media reviewing division of Catholic News Service. The reviews include the CNS rating, the Motion Picture Association of America rating, and a brief synopsis of the movie.

The classifications are as follows:

A-I -- general patronage;
A-II -- adults and adolescents;
A-III -- adults;
L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. L replaces the previous classification, A-IV.
O -- morally offensive.

Note: Some movies previously were designated A-IV. Older films with this classification should be regarded as classified L.