Product: Forgotten [VHS] (2002)
Rating: 5.0
Chilling psychological drama
With the possible exception of Hetty Wainthrop, Forgotten is probably the most unusual production I've seen on PBS's popular Mystery! series. It is certainly not a cozy little mystery with brilliant detectives and happy endings, like Poirot or Cadfael (both of which I love, by the way); it is more deeply personal, steeped in realism, and will haunt you for many nights to come.Several things strike me about this miniseries (movie, tv show? I'm not sure what to call it!). First of all, it is not typical Hollywoodized fare - the characters are all painfully real, down to the DCI who suffers from hay fever to the bookstore employee who walks with crutches. The relationships are scripted and acted so well that you feel like you're watching a slice out of their lives, not actors performing roles. And the acting is absolutely superb. Amanda Burton is both chilling and sympathetic (a hard balance to acheive) and utterly believable. The extremely likeable Paul McGann (Dr. Who, Horatio Hornblower) is such a perfectly bemused Ben Turner that you are left believing that this is what Paul McGann must be truly like. However, the show is stolen (at least in my opinion) by the very handsome Christopher Villiars as the tortured DI Andrew Cannon, whose role, like everyone's, is fleshed out extremely well. Also very notable is the fetching young Karis Copp, who gives an outstanding and surprisingly sensitive performance as 7-year-old Emmy.Against the picturesque backdrop of a charming little Cotswolds village (a wonderful contrast to the ultimate evil of a murdered child) the story plays itself out at an unhurried pace, letting you savor the characters and live their lives alongside them as events unfold. With each new revelation the plot twists and turns, culminating in a conclusion so disturbing that it kept me awake half the night pondering it.My only complaints are the COMPLETE lack of any kind of extra features on the DVD, and the full-screen presentation (it was broadcast on PBS in widescreen). But the story itself is without flaw, and these minor complaints do not take away from its impact.Absolutely one of the most memorable and gripping stories you will ever watch.