Unforgettable is like a soft-core porno without the sex scenes.
Which…
- …is not the same as, and actually superior to, a soap opera. And:
- …is kind of a guilty compliment coming from me.
As much as I may enjoy its self-aware trashiness, the movie — released earlier this year, about an ex who tries to sabotage her old hubby’s new relationship — would’ve further reveled in insane inanity if Katherine Heigl’s character, far more compelling than Rosario Dawson’s, had been the focus.
Writers should disregard this notion that the audience requires a somewhat straight-laced lead to serve as a relatable foil to a crazier, and probably richer to explore, supporting player. A few 2017 movies I’ve watched recently have made this conventional mistake: this, The Disaster Artist, and My Cousin Rachel. Scribes can stop condescending to their potential audiences and instead trust that direct and explicit artistic windows into weirdness won’t repel .
Also, not that this matters much to Unforgettable overall, but for its foreboding ending to work in terms of setting up a sequel, the mother needed to be cast as more of a star cameo, someone who could’ve legitimately raised anticipation for another, fairly-unlikely installment.
