Directors: Alexander Holt & Lance Roehrig
Stars: Tobias Menzies, Genevieve O’Reilly
Will (Menzies) is a musician who sings at a bar. After a gig he meets Eve (O’Reilly), who works at the bar. As they walk out a drunk customer attacks them and Will manages to deal with the situation. In the inky blackness of night he escorts Eve to a party and the film follows the two of them as they walk through London, showing the journey of two strangers becoming intimate.
Forget Me Not is in the vein of Once and Before Sunrise, two films that I absolutely adore. It’s a simply story where the two characters get to know each other, and as they do we get to know them as well. Will is a somewhat reserved person with a dark secret, and Eve is friendly and free-spirited. The writing and performances are so good that it feels real, and you get the sense that these people are making a genuine connection, and that this is something that could genuinely happen. Yet it doesn’t completely lose itself in romantic fantasy as the characters are both aware that really they don’t know each other despite spending the whole night walking and talking.
The backdrop of London is used superbly and there are some beautiful shots. Often there are clichéd images used when films are set in London, and although there are famous landmarks shown it feels fresh, and this is a testament to the skill of the directors. It is shot beautifully and every aspect of the film comes together to create this soothing, enthralling story. The soundtrack is incredible and while it’s not as intrinsic to the film as the music in Once is, it still plays a big part. There’s one scene in particular where they go to a silent disco (where everyone wears headphones and dances to their own music), and the use of music here, and throughout the film, is phenomenal.
I can’t rave about this film enough. I was totally surprised I loved it as much as I did. There are some revelations about the characters that took me by surprise. There were touching moments, moments on passion. It was funny too, and there was some existential philosophy thrown in as they discussed why the chicken really crossed the road.
It’s a perfectly soothing movie that uses every aspect of a film to its fullest potential. I was so moved and so captivated by it that I highly recommend it. This is exactly the type of movie I love, with its understated presence and quiet pace it unfolds gently, and at the end I had to take a few moments to reflect and collect myself.
