I wanted to be honest with you right from the get-go. I could have listed the few redeeming characteristics, made a few remarks about the wasted talent of the cast and concluded with a vague and poorly conceived simile about how "the plot crumbled to dust like a sand castle built in the Sahara during a windstorm," but that would waste my time and yours. Not just because I am poorly equipped to create a coherent simile, as the above example clearly shows. No, it would be a waste of time because this movie is so bad that it doesn't even merit a coherent simile. Now, if you're still reading after the first sentence, chances are you're wondering what specifically was so bad about this movie.
Let's start with the plot. The movie revolves around Telly Paretta (Julianne Moore) who is still obsessed with her son's death 14 months after the plane crash that killed him. Her husband (Anthony Edwards) and therapist (Gary Sinese) are her sole supporters in the daily struggle to move on with her life. One day she wakes up to find all evidence of her son gone, with her husband and therapist denying that he ever existed. She tries to consort with fellow mourner Ash (Dominic West), but she quickly realizes that he has no memories of his daughter, who died in the same plane crash as her son. Later, inexplicably, he remembers his daughter's death. Ash and Tella come to realize that aliens have erased everybody's memory and are controlling a massive government cover-up.
Right now you're probably screaming, "You just ruined the whole plot!" Well, seeing this crappy movie ruined my afternoon. Also, all of these plot points come up in the first 40 minutes of the movie. The interminable second half of the movie involves Telly and Ash running from and sometimes being chased by aliens.
Similarly, the acting leaves a great deal to be desired. Julianne Moore is a fine actress. She copes with the opening 30 minutes of this movie with restrained panic and angst that acts to bolster audience sympathy. However, once the plot becomes ludicrous, all bets are off. Faced with actor Lee Tergeson, who's biggest claim to fame is his role as Chet on the television show "Weird Science," Moore must conjure a straight face when responding to the line "The goddarn truth won't fit into your brain." Sinese and Edwards' characters just exist to pay the bills.
In an "E! Hollywood" interview, director Joseph Ruben credits writer Gerald Di Pego as "the real driving force behind this movie." The only thing Di Pego was behind was a pole, when they were handing out brains. The dialogue is cliche-ridden and overly dramatic, as the movie takes itself far more seriously than it has any right to. Di Pego somehow manages to make the movie bad, but not bad enough to be particularly funny.
Don't go to this movie in hopes of seeing a special effects extravaganza. The main special effect in this movie is people being unexpectedly "whooshed" off into space. It is a silly surprise the first time it happens, but the effect loses comic value in each subsequent occurrence. Other special effects, which included an exploding house and a puffy-cheeked face, were unremarkable.
As for the good points: There was one genuinely surprising moment.
In conclusion, do not see this movie. It is very bad. The plot is bad. The acting is bad. The dialogue is bad. Do not encourage the studios to churn out more garbage like this. Watch "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow." Watch "Harold and Kumar go to White Castle." Hell, watch your grandma in the shower. Just do not watch this movie.