Kevin Wolfe (Christopher Denham) is a photographer haunted by a traumatic past. To cope, he's developed a systematic way of forgetting all of his bad memories.

It's not surprising, perhaps, that nearly all of those bad memories to be forgotten involve the "girls" he encounters as they model for him. Obsessed with finding "the" girl who will help him forget about his traumatic past, Kevin asks practically everyone out that he encounters and, much to his surprise, they occasionally even say "yes."

Directed by Nate Taylor, Forgetting the Girl picked up the Audience Award for Feature Film at the 2012 SoHo International Film Festival and also won a Gold Remi Award at WorldFest Houston. A suspenseful thriller penned by Peter Moore Smith, Forgetting the Girl is wrapped tightly around the subject of sexual politics and it's clear from early on in the film that Kevin's unresolved issues have left him with a not particularly high regard for women, or "girls," and a skewed sense of reality that makes the possibility of getting laid the answer to just about every question.

As his goth assistant, Lindsay Beamish embodies the girl who would like to catch his eye but doesn't much stand a chance of doing so. Denham, who sort of looks and sounds like a cross of Billy Corgan meets Paul Dano, manages to make Kevin just creepy enough without being so completely psycho that you lose interest in watching his story.

Just exactly how much of yourself you're willing to invest in Forgetting the Girl may depend upon how quickly you manage to pick up the story's twists. That said, even if you figure things out early on Taylor infuses the film with enough suspense and tightly wound characterizations that you'll likely still enjoy the journey. For sure, you'll enjoy Denham's creepy yet sympathetic turn as Kevin and Beamish's richly developed turn as Jamie. Both Anna Camp and Elizabeth Rice also shine as supporting players, or "girls," who turn out to be among the kinder girls that Kevin encounters.

Picked up by Ram Releasing for distribution, Forgetting the Girl is an engaging and intelligent suspense thriller with an ending that you yourself won't likely easily forget.

© Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic