Not to forget (2022) Film Review
Films should make a difference.
We’ve heard this probably many times. Different filmmakers broadcast such an important message and each materializes their own take on it.
No matter the result, believing in that “should” is crucial for understanding the purpose of a film like Not to Forget, Valerio Zanoli’s heartwarming and star-studded, sweetheart of a movie. This isn’t a film that seeks ambition by putting its prominent elements on the forefront of an independent film. Zanoli’s mission is clever, but this doesn’t mean he approaches his venture with a shallow view. On the contrary, the story in Not to Forget is what definitely stays with you.
Not to Forget is the story of Chris, a self-centered young man who’s jumped from one foster home to another. He’s involved in petty crimes, and even when he decides to represent himself in a court hearing, he doesn’t pay attention to the judge. That is until one day, a very smart judge (Olympia Dukakis in her final role) decides to “punish” him in a different manner: he has to go live with his grandmother, and take care of whatever he can. Away from everything, his former life, his friends, and everything that’s turned him into a spoiled brat.
His grandmother Melody (Karen Grassle in a fine performance) suffers from Alzheimer’s. There’s a man who takes care of her, and he forces Chris to do some hard labor. When he discovers his grandmother is very, very wealthy, he comes up with a plan. He and his friends decide to do everything at hand to get ahold of the money. However, as secrets from the past arise, things change for Chris. Perhaps, it’s time to leave that part of his life behind.
Awkward at times (the comedy tone is hard to connect with the film’s ultimate goal), but emotionally powerful, Not to Forget is one man’s take on how a film can raise awareness about a very important issue. This isn’t a documentary with thousands of testimonies. It also isn’t based on the perspective of an elderly person who suffers from something that they can’t understand. The writer/director twists the wheel and innovates with a risky take: the stance of a young, selfish millenial who cares about him and nothing else.
It’s risky because being traditional in this subgenre guarantees a watch from general audiences. Not to Forget isn’t traditional, and still carries more heart and emotional strength than many films out there. Alzheimer’s is an issue that’s more common than you may think. When a film speaks to us with a grounded script and doesn’t even attempt to colorize what’s very real, it’s hard not to look.
Perhaps you may have heard of Not to Forget because its cast contains 5 Oscar winners (Tatum O’Neal, Louis Gossett Jr., George Chakiris, Olympia Dukakis and Cloris Leachman) and it’s the final performance of Dukakis and Leachman. Zanoli has done his job right in creating such a film with a dramatic backbone that guarantees the power of the scene.
Nevertheless, go beyond. There is something to talk about after credits roll. We need to recognize the existence of a disease, and understand how it works. If a film can help you do this, then it must be welcomed. Who knows, maybe it will help you at some point in your life. That’s when a film triumphs. When it becomes permanent. Not many independent films have the opportunity to do this, so what do you say we take a look at that other side of cinema, the one that will matter in the immediate, and not so immediate future?
