Product: Forgotten [VHS] (2002)
Rating: 5.0
NOT TO BE FORGOTTEN!
American fans of PBS's MYSTERY or A&E's MYSTERIES (both of which air British thrillers), won't be disappointed in this superbly crafted and richly atmospheric mystery/thriller.The enigmatic and elegent Amanda Burton (known to mystery fans as Dr. Sam Ryan in the SILENT WITNESS series -- and who is not the child of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in spite of the fact that she bears the Burton name and looks very much like Taylor), stars as a woman of mystery who returns to a small village with ulterior motives.I won't say any more about the story or plot, as Amazon's descrpition sums it up about as well as can be done without revealing too much. The film is presented in three complete 50-minute (approx) episodes.My only (very minor) complaint was the screenwriter's choice of the person who turns out to be the "villian", who only had what I would call peripheral involvement in the storyline. This seemed to me to be a slight cheat on the part of the screenwriter, but I guess it goes to show us to always suspect everyone.But the story is told so well, and the atmosphere is so evocative, that this is only a minor complaint. And there is a nice slew of suspects with which to contend, and several characterizations that are nicely unusual and out of the ordinary (notably, a lady police investigator very much unlike the stereotypical inspector). Although not gory or overly violent, it is presented in a tone of realism, not in the tone of a "for-fun" who-dun-it like, say, MISS MARPLE or MURDER, SHE WROTE. As to movie rating, I would rate it PG-13, or soft R, not for children.The film is beautifully photographed in a picturesque little English villiage (I'd love to know where!), giving a rich "atmosphere" and sense of place to the story. And it ends with an ambiguous yet satisfying "question mark" ending that will leave you thinking further about the story and characters.This beautifully filmed thriller will remove you from your surroundings and take you into another world of mystery and intrigue. I was thrilled with this purchase (no pun intended!). Highly recommended for fans of the genre.