Not Forgotten Blu-ray offers decent video and great audio in this enjoyable Blu-ray release
Jack Bishop is a picture-perfect husband and father in a peaceful Texas border town. But when
his 11-year-old daughter is kidnapped, he’ll hunt her abductors no matter what the cost.
Quickly he learns he must unleash his own tortured soul into a Mexican hell of barrios and
bordellos controlled by the mysterious religion of La Santa Muerte. When a man has too much
to hide and nothing to lose, should he dare to search for the truth?
It seems there are as many news stories focusing on kidnapped children as there are
stories on the weather or the fallout from the weekend's football games. What's truly shocking
is that there are far more kidnappings than those reported on television, but even still, it's
difficult to become emotionally involved in such a story through the window of the television
screen, particularly when the media decides that one case is more deserving of the nation's
attention
than another. Though it's easy to whisper a prayer for the family, the sheer volume of
the number of both reported and highly-publicized cases lessens the impact when news breaks
that another young boy or girl has gone missing. Though it's easy to feel for those involved, it
seems impossible to truly understand the pain that's only superficially visible through the
television screen. Not Forgotten just might change that. Chances are its viewers will
never look at a kidnapping case the same way again, seeing not just an image on a television but
perhaps more fully understanding the anguish that lives behind the tears. Still, Not
Forgotten is more
than that. The film's tone shifts drastically as the story develops, and while it becomes
something far more involved than a garden-variety missing persons movie like
Mel
Gibson's excellent Ransom, it still manages to capture -- at least early on -- the despair
of a missing person's family as well as any film before it.
Jack and Toby enjoy 'Taken' on Blu-ray.
All-American soccer dad Jack Bishop (Simon Baker, Sex and Death 101)
is living life to the fullest with his new wife Amaya (Paz Vega) and daughter Toby (Chloe Moretz)
in Del Rio, Texas. That's all about to change when Chloe goes missing one afternoon while at
soccer practice. A local search of the U.S.-Mexico border area behind the field quickly becomes a
massive
endeavor involving both the local authorities and the FBI. As the investigation ensues, Jack's
hidden past comes to light in a series of revelations that prove that he may not be who he claims,
though whether those secrets involve his daughter's disappearance remain as mysterious as her
current whereabouts. With the authorities now honing in on Jack, he takes it upon himself to
use connections and skills long since left in a past life to track down his daughter before he loses
more than his little girl.
Not Forgotten is a perfect example of a film of two distinct halves. Though it
begins innocently enough -- what kidnapping film doesn't -- it picks up considerably once Toby
goes missing. Simon Baker effortlessly transforms from all-American dad to a man whose life is
in shambles at the drop of a hat. He's a talented actor, and he pulls off one of his best efforts
here, and that doesn't even take into consideration the further, massive transformation the
character undergoes later in the film's revelation-heavy second half. The pressure, the concern,
the anger, all of it
comes across as effortlessly and realistically as one would expect of such a situation and hope for
in such a film. Baker -- and the entire cast -- is faced with the challenge of playing the roles not
straight but with the knowledge of the secrets to come. In Not Forgotten, nobody but
nobody is who they seem, and the challenge of putting on layers of false fronts, dishonest
pretenses, and other disingenuous sorts of behaviors requires something more than a
by-the-numbers performance, and each main cast member does a good job of hiding the truth,
and so does
the script. Not Forgotten reveals its secrets in due course, one at a time, and allows
them to settle in and gestate all the way through to the surprise revelation that marks the film's
final scene.
Of course, therein lies the potential weakness of the story. Both the film's second half and its
ending are bound to upset some audiences but please others. It's certainly different, unexpected,
and shocking, and it requires an open mind, a disregard for convention, and a willingness to
accept that much of what came before it was built on false pretenses. Not Forgotten
certainly dares to be different, but whether that difference works for each member of the
audience is what will ultimately determine the movie's fate. No doubt the more conventional --
and wonderfully realized -- elements go by the wayside in favor of surprise revelations, black
magic, and spilled blood, the end result something of a surreal experience that might even
require a second viewing and a more discerning eye for detail with the foreknowledge of the film's
end to truly piece together not the easily-understood plot arc but instead the nuances that lead
to
its revelation. In that regard, the film is a success; it's sufficiently clandestine in its intentions,
but whether or not the barrage of secrets can come together and not only make sense but prove
believable is up to the individual viewer. Not Forgotten is easily worth watching, but
whether it's forgotten or long remembered five, ten, or twenty years from now, that depends on
how viewers embrace the film's twists and turns that will either shock and satisfy or prove too big
a
stretch and perhaps even too goofy in the name of arriving at the big payoff at film's end.
Not Forgotten arrives on Blu-ray with a hit-or-miss 1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer. The
transfer features plenty of blocking throughout and some occasional banding, both of which make
for some unattractive eyesores that plague an otherwise decent outing. The transfer is pale,
resulting in slightly ghastly (but otherwise problem-free) flesh tones and blacks that appear too
bright. Several dark, hazy interiors fare the worst, such scenes appearing as if there is a light film
covering the screen. The image also lacks much tangible depth. However, detail is generally
strong; the scene featuring the initial search for Toby on the U.S.-Mexico border showcases
excellent detail along the riverbed where rocks and sand are beautifully rendered. Likewise, the
usual suspects -- brick exteriors or stitches in clothing, for instance -- look almost as good here as
they do in many of the upper-echelon transfers. Not Forgotten never looks bad at a glance,
but several problem areas keep this one from being an above-average effort.
Not Forgotten features a robust PCM 5.1 uncompressed soundtrack. The track delivers a
consistently healthy rear channel presentation, beginning with light applause at a soccer game early
in the film and later coming to much more vivid life. A brief scene of a kidnapped Toby in the back
of a vehicle delivers a violent rattling and rumbling sensation that seems to force the entire
soundstage to bounce around. The track also features several good atmospherics, with
buzzing insects in particular distinctly heard in the back channels. It's a solid, immersive
track, and as a fine compliment, musical delivery is clear and robust, again with a strong but not
overpowering rear channel accompaniment. The track carries a good low end that does well to
punctuate some of the more intense moments in the film. Bass also thumps wonderfully in a club
scene in chapter six. Along with solid dialogue reproduction, Not Forgotten's
uncompressed soundtrack is the disc's technical standout, besting the video presentation and
proving more impressive than the minimal supplemental package.
Not Forgotten features only three extras. First is a commentary track with
Co-Writer/Producer/Director Dror Soref and Co-Writer/Asssociate Producer Tomás Romero. The
participants aren't shy, speaking a mile a minute and recalling plenty of tidbits both major and
minor, from shooting locations to fake grass in one scene. They also discuss the obsessive details
that found their way into the script but not necessarily the film, the work of cinematographer
Steven Bernstein, shot
composition, and more. This is a basic commentary that fans might enjoy but it's otherwise a
non-essential listen. 'Not Forgotten:' Behind the Scenes (480p, 6:20) is a short piece that
features Soref and, later, Romero, recalling the story and themes found in the film, contrasted with
clips from
the film and behind-the-scenes footage. Also included is the Not Forgotten trailer (480p,
1:44).
Intense, well-acted, and thoroughly engaging, Not Forgotten delivers a satisfying
movie-watching experience, but its many twists and turns -- twists and turns that veer pretty far
from convention -- might not sit well with all audiences. However, the movie deserves credit for
trying something different with the material, and whether the finale sits well with viewers or not,
chances are the radically differing tones and developments that figure into the story will at least
make for an engaging topic of conversation. This Starz Blu-ray release features decent picture
quality that's marred by a few recurring issues, a solid uncompressed soundtrack, and a couple of
extras. Not Forgotten comes recommended as a rental.
Starz/Anchor Bay Entertainment has announced that it will release the thriller 'Not Forgotten' on Blu-ray on November 3, day-and-date with the DVD. Video will be a 2.35:1 1080p encode, accompanied by a 5.1 Dolby TrueHD soundtrack. Extras consist of a behind-the-scenes ...
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