Under the lens takes a deep look at films by focusing in on one or two particular areas of the picture that helped to define it for better or for worse. Spoilers will be included in this review.
Unforgettable is a drama thriller from Director John Dalh and stars Ray Liotta, Linda Fiorentino, and Peter Coyote. It follows the story of a medical examiner, who was suspected of murdering his wife. He then tries an experimental drug to retrieve his wife’s and other victims’ memories in the hope he can find the killer before he strikes again.
Under The Lens: Twists and Creative Science
Twists: Unforgettable is a picture full of twists and turns, the trailer showcases it as a standard thriller, however, the story is far more than that and has a deep mystery at its core. as the story is slowly laid out one twist after another is revealed always keeping the viewer second-guessing just who the real villain is. In most pictures, I am able to figure out the end pretty early on, however, this was one of the few that kept me guessing up till the end. Unforgettable had 6-7 story twists over its two-hour runtime, each of them opening up another aspect of the narrative that had been hidden before.
Creative Science: Unforgettable walks the line between thriller and science fiction, as the premise of the story is that a person can inject the spinal fluid of another person and experience their memories, and even feel the pain they felt. Its science is based on some real theories but is highly stylized for storytelling purposes. The picture works hard to not take the viewer out of the real world and downplays the more sensualized elements of the drug, overall it’s handled well, and I never felt like it jumped the shark.
Highlights
Peter Coyote is always a pleasure to see on screen and he did a good job in the role he played.
The picture does a good job of dropping the viewer right into the action and filling in the details as you go.
The practical action sequences are a breath of fresh air in today’s CGI heavy world.
Something to think about
How would you feel about having the ability to live someone elses memories?
Conclusion
Overall Unforgettable is a very decent 90s thriller that takes the premise of the innocent man wrongfully accused and turns it on its head. Anchored by fun science and good performances, Unforgettable is a fun pass time for a lazy weekend. Its twists and turns will keep you guessing and trying to stay one step ahead of our hero.
