Every year there seems to be one type of these films released about a good a man, woman, or a couple who is terrorized by a scorned lover. Unforgettable is no different than any one of these movies. Same premise. Same conclusion. So as to not be redundant in criticizing the status quo, cookie cutter movies such as Unforgettable cannot be judged by the context of its story but by the crazy of its protagonist and/or antagonist. Just how crazy is the obsessor? And to what lengths will that individual go to make the object of their affection an object to their affliction.
Katherine Heigl as a woman scorned by her own destructive tendencies manipulates a string of coincidences to undermine the relationship between her baby daddy, their daughter, and his new fiancé. Heigl is cold and controlled, but ironically unstable. She wants nothing but to put Rosario Dawson’s head through a plate glass window if for no other reason than that she exists. Through gritted teeth and the smugness of a New York State Wasp, she crafts her plan to rid the soon-to-be-new-wifey from her perceived family equation.
This is no groundbreaking performance for Heigl; she’s great at dramatic performances. Even as an alien from another planet residing in Rowsell, Heigl exercised cold emotion so frigid you would think she was from out of this world. In the role of Tessa Connover, Heigl seemed at home with crazy.
‘I’m always happy to play the bad girl’” Nicole Kidman
Yes, Nicole Kidman, playing the villain is fun, y’know why?
Because you can tap into the crazy you hide from friends and family and reveal that monster on screen for all to see. This role gave Heigl a nice break away from the tropes of a television show gone bye bye. She was not the emotional basket case, Izzy, but a more sinister reversal of the Grey’s Anatomy character. Heigl was a woman with no scruples towards destroying the lives of strangers or the people she cares about just as long as she gets what she wants.
Unforgettable was a gentle breakaway from the romantic comedy movie and Izzy from Grey’s Anatomy. Tessa is a strong villainess, but not original. Truthfully, it was a role I enjoyed watching Heigl portray, however, to regain the credibility she deserves in this business, she’s going to have to leave a few more bodies in her wake. The rom-com love seeker; The villain; She can do them all, but only if she embraces her crazy and takes some risk, jobs for the acting role sans undesired prestige.