Midlands Review of Don't Forget Me
midlandsmovies • April 27, 2020
Midlands Review of Don't Forget Me
Don't Forget Me
Directed by Craig MacPhee
2020
4th Wall Productions
Don’t Forget Me is a new drama from Leicester filmmaker Craig MacPhee and discusses the awful consequences of the debilitating disease of dementia.
We open with Cameron (Craig MacPhee) staring into space, and coming to terms with the fact that his Grandma, who he’s always been close to, is suffering from a degenerative condition. A teary Cameron is comforted by his mother (a sensitive Louise Thomas) as it’s acknowledged the family have to deal with their “horrible thing”.
As someone who lost their mum to early onset dementia a few years ago, it was certainly a tough watch for me, with many issues close to home. However, these are handled sensitively by the director and certainly aren’t exploitative.
The family consider lots of options but Cameron volunteers to become his grandma’s carer as they move her closer to home to help and assist her with daily living.
The script is a bit on the nose - everything is explained in full detail in the dialogue – and this has the unfortunate effect of it being tough on actors who slightly struggle get more naturalistic performances. But there’s plenty of emotional scenes that will draw you in nonetheless.
That said, the relationship between Cameron and his grandparent (Evadne Fisher) is heart-warming and there are laughs amongst the sadness. Using photos, music and books to help recollect memories, the film also flashbacks to a young Cameron showing us the inevitable passage of time.
The recurring image of a tea cup being filled seemed to represent some of the repetition of the daily personal routine whilst Cameron’s tears at his ever going frustration was something I could relate to. Being unable to stop the onset whilst seeing problems increase daily, Cameron’s strong support is stretched to its limit. Eventually, Grandma’s recollection of Cameron himself fades in her memory.
A violent outburst leads to a tough decision for the family to move her to a home yet the family ‘s sorrow is still very raw, despite a reluctant acceptance that they all know it’s for the best.
Don’t Forget Me ends up as very powerful film by its conclusion, representing as it does a very accurate picture of the real-life medical condition – but also its sad effects on the family around the sufferer. Although some improvement with the script and a few cinematic flourishes would help, these do not distract from the accurate glimpses into a family struggling to deal with an ill loved one.
In the end, it’ll take a heart of stone to not be moved by the film and its very emotional and honest portrait of frustration and family love and loss.
Michael Sales
On Sunday 26th April Midlands Movies Editor Michael Sales & awards ceremony co-host Ed Stagg (BBC Radio) announced the nominations for the 2026 Midlands Movies Awards live from the Queen of Bradgate Vintage Cinema in Leicester. A big thanks was given to the entire Jury Panel of industry experts who gave up their precious time to watch a huge selection of creative projects and as always, had a difficult time choosing from the excellent number of films from the region. You can read the full list of nominations across all 16 categories below and watch our announcement videos here: Part 1 & Part 2 And please also check out our great awards partner Chrome Video Best Actress in a Leading Role Karendip Phull for Family Kate Bracken for The Lace Rachel Baker for Throwing Fruit Chloe Wade for How Long Sophie Bullock for Ma Prison Best Animated Film Of All the Things by Steff Lee Big Red by James Pyle Statue in the Garden by Qianhui Yu Butterfly by Jacob Christie Best Director Luke Worrall for The Waterline Lily Portman for Quiet Jack Richardson for Daniel’s Room Jonathan Hawes for Sorry We’re Closed Sophia Dall'Aglio for Man from Mars Best Documentary Nothing's Impossible by Jacob Thomas McClean A Birmingham Symphony by Jemma Saunders We Bring Light: Leicester's Diwali Legacy by Kieran Vyas The Sunshine Café by Jill Lampert Through the Viewfinder by William North Best Sound (Editing or Mixing) Neil Evans & his team for Artificial Insanity Alasdair Gretton for Dead on Distribution Deepanjali Patel for Earworm David Hamilton-Smith for The Pause Heidi Wilson for Of All The Things Best Actor in a Supporting Role Devon Junior for Lazar Tim Sparrow for Safety Net Shaiek Ahmed Rana for Family Luke Rollason for Quiet Peter Willoughby for A Story of Spring Best Visual & Special Effects Jake Wesley-Worrall for Soul Trader Steve Askey & team for The Correction Unit Nick Willett, Matt Burkey & Jayne Hyman for Black Goat JaqD SFX MUA, Mind Magic Studios and Ben Harker for Beyond the Witching Hour Pete Key, Jai Blanks and Jacob Christie for Countenance Best Cinematography Gary Rogers for The Pause Laurence Mason-Guetta for Sorry We’re Closed Ian Snape for Soul Trader Ash Connaughton for Daniel’s Room Duane Adamoli for Surfing (nominations continue below...)
As someone who has been a fan of indie horror games for over a decade, I was jumping for joy when I first saw the announcement that an indie horror game I really enjoyed was receiving a film adaptation
On a bright Sunday morning at a campsite just off the A52 in rural Staffordshire, you would never have guessed that a run-of-the-mill grass field would soon set the stage for an epic encounter between 15th century armies.
Lacuna is a new short film from Midlands director Sophie Black and explores the sensitive subject of sexual abuse and its many ramifications.