1996 film
Unforgettable is a 1996 thriller with science fiction elements, directed by John Dahl and starring Ray Liotta and Linda Fiorentino. The movie is about a man named David Krane (Liotta), who is obsessed with finding out who murdered his wife.
The movie is John Dahl's follow up to his critically acclaimed film, The Last Seduction. Unforgettable, however was a box office failure, only earning less than $3 million in the U.S.
Plot
In Unforgettable, Dr. David Krane (Ray Liotta) is unsuccessfully framed for the murder of his wife. He then attempts to find the true killer, with the help of Dr. Martha Briggs (Linda Fiorentino), by using an experimental drug that allows him to experience another person's memories. The drug takes a heavy toll on Krane and it's a race to find out the truth before time runs out. In the end it is revealed that a policeman named Bresler was the one who killed Krane's wife, in order to frame the prime suspect in the murder, Eddie Dutton. Bresler goes to jail for a long time, while Krane ends up in a comatose state due to an overdose of the drug. Briggs and Gleick, Bresler's partner, speculate that the comatose Krane is in a 'better place' where he can be with his late wife.
Critical reception
Janet Maslin, writing in The New York Times, said, "Though it's well made, Unforgettable is also gimmicky, with too much of the plot revolving around voyeuristic tricks. Tapping into the same kind of virtual reality gambit seen in Strange Days, Unforgettable deals with one person's ability to borrow the experiences of others... Insanely far-fetched as this is, it's hardly dull. Mr. Dahl's visual imagination is in fine form, even if his storytelling shows no great eagerness to escape from the B-movie sphere."[1]
The Miami Herald granted the film 2 out of 4 stars: "But there's little joy in watching the puzzle come together, since the script, by newcomer Bill Geddie, cheats. It's impossible for the viewer to solve the case alongside Krane: The movie withholds crucial information until a revelation-packed denouement. On a purely visceral level, the movie works better. At its best, Unforgettable recalls prime Hitchcock in the way it unearths great suspense in familiar situations, such as a long footchase and a supermarket robbery. The performances are strong, too. Liotta is an ideal choice: Even at his most sympathetic, he seems capable of great evil - he has the eyes of a madman - but the movie settles the issue of his culpability too early... Dahl has made his name making movies intelligent and cynical; this one is neither. It's a genre piece that buries a terrific premise under a pile of contrivances. It's also a first for Dahl: a movie that's more fun to look at than it is to think about."[2]
