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Angst for the Memories

Here's the thing: if you're going to call a movie "Unforgettable," it ought to sear itself into the brain with a blazingly original lead character, an outrageous plot, or some crazy twist ending that'll have half the audience dying to spill the secret and the other half feeling smug about keeping quiet. Otherwise, you're just asking for trouble.

The creative minds behind the new thriller starring Katherine Heigl ("The Ugly Truth") and Rosario Dawson ("Sin City: A Dame to Kill For") ought to have realized they'd be setting themselves up with such a moniker. The film's not bad; it's a passable potboiler with solid performances, slick production values, and a couple of grab-the-armrest moments. It wouldn't be entirely out of place as a Saturday night feature on the Lifetime Movie Network. But, unforgettable it's not.

Ms. Dawson's Julia is on her way out of the Bay Area, leaving behind a cushy magazine editing gig for soon-to-be-married life somewhere in SoCal (the town doesn't get a name but SGV denizens may recognize a San Marino-esque vibe). She's also leaving behind an abusive ex-boyfriend, though she's never clued in future hubby David (Geoff Stults, "L!fe Happens") on the sordid details, restraining order and all.

David's got his own baggage, in the form of brittle ex-wife Tessa (Ms. Heigl, styled to icy perfection with perfectly parted white-blonde hair and a series of LA-flawless wardrobe changes). Tessa's moved out but hasn't moved on, and she uses shared custody of their daughter Lily as a lifeline to maintain a hold on David. There's a clear contrast at play as Tessa drops by in her impeccably tailored riding clothes to hand Lily off to casually barefoot Julia, who favors cutoffs and peasant tops. Tessa stays for dinner and her modus operandi becomes clear as she lobs subtle passive-aggressive insults and marches around the kitchen like she's still the lady of the house.

Tessa wants Julia out of the picture and her campaign of harassment starts as annoyance - she shows up at an event decked out in the white dress Julia was considering for her wedding - and rapidly spirals into dangerous territory. It's a pretty neat frame-job, and Ms. Dawson expertly plays the growing bewilderment of finding herself trapped at the center of Tessa's malicious manipulation. But there's not much here that's fresh or original. Mostly it's a sufficiently entertaining by-the-numbers revenge story: you know what's coming, and you wait for the turning point when the villainess will get her comeuppance...the only thing left to wonder is how.

Writers Christina Hodson and David Leslie Johnson take a stab at humanizing Tessa by introducing her mother (Cheryl Ladd), a Machiavellian social climber who advises her daughter to move on quickly and find a new man because she's not getting any younger. It's clear that life with mother was no picnic and Tessa's imparting hard-learned lessons when she disciplines Lily with a move right out of the "Flowers In the Attic" playbook.

"Unforgettable" takes some cues from over the top dramas like "Flowers" and it virtually quotes campy mother-from-hell classic, "Mommie Dearest," but nobody seems aware of this. Instead, everyone in "Unforgettable" plays it studiously straight, with the exception of Ms. Ladd who delivers barbs like "At your age, there's no such thing as time" with a glint that makes it clear she's knowingly mapping Joan Crawford territory. This puts a fun spin on some of the material, but it's not enough to create a lasting impression.

While "Unforgettable" doesn't live up to its name, it's still an entertaining outing with beautiful people in scenic locations indulging in some well-photographed scheming and yes, breaking out in the occasional catfight. If you're looking for something entertaining and innocuous, you could approach it like a third glass of champagne: you might as well indulge, you'll enjoy it in the moment, and you probably won't remember it tomorrow.