Seen on: November 21, 2008
The players: Director: Catherine Hardwicke, Writer: Melissa Rosenberg, Cast: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Cam Gigandet, Nikki Reed
Facts of interest: Catherine Hardwicke also directed "Thirteen."
The plot: It's the story of Bella, a human who falls in love with Edward, a vampire.
Our thoughts: Hardcore “Twilight” fans will certainly get their money’s worth in Catherine Hardwicke’s big-screen adaptation of the popular Stephenie Meyer novel, but there’s a chance people who haven’t read the book but would still like to find out what the fuss is all about may actually end up watching a boring film.
Before I go on about this, let me point out that I have not read any of the “Twilight” books, which is why I can’t discuss how the movie compares to its source material. From what I’ve heard so far, the film version seems to be pretty close to the book, but I’m going to leave it at that. My take here is solely based on “Twilight” the movie.
So, is it a good movie? While I won’t say it’s an absolute disaster, I can’t get quite excited over it either. To me personally, it’s just a dragging, forgettable experience that tries too hard to please its fans and pretty much fails to offer those who don’t know much about it a good show. In other words, I was disappointed by what I saw.
In the film, Kristen Stewart stars as Bella, a Phoenix girl who decides to take a break from her current life with her mother by moving in with her dad in the rainy town of Forks, Washington. Shortly after settling in she meets and falls in love with Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), a weird guy who eventually turns out to be a friendly vampire.
Bella’s acquaintance with Ed and her discovery of his true identity is pretty much all the plot spends the flick’s first hour with, but I can’t say it either entertained me or moved me emotionally. The final part at least speeds up a little via a couple of action scenes, but the way there is a little too long and too shallow for my taste.
I can see why these characters appeal to a lot of people, and I’m sure they could have come across as a lot more intriguing and credible without the utterly simplistic and cheesy dialogue. Edward’s overprotective nature, Bella’s absence of fear, and both their willingness to do whatever it takes to be together definitely make for a sappy but romantic story, but the lines Pattinson and Stewart get to work with often sound fake and ridiculous.
Additionally, some of the subplots in the film are rushed and hardly engaging, such as the threat posed by James (Cam Gigandet), one of the bad vampires who considers Bella a tasty snack and just can’t seem to let go of her. The resulting hunt and the film’s more action-loaded finale fail miserably.
Although the special effects stink, the film is otherwise visually pleasing, and Hardwicke’s direction is mostly decent enough and during some sequences even quite interesting. One scene during which the Cullen family plays baseball amidst an approaching thunderstorm is actually rather captivating.
Stewart has some solid acting experience, and although she looks uncomfortable (and very pale) at first, she eventually turns in a convincing performance. Pattinson doesn’t seem to put that much effort into this role as the dead-looking Edward, but at least he and Stewart share a credible enough chemistry that, again, is often undermined by silly dialogue.
Freaky quote: “You know, your mood swings are kinda giving me whiplash." – Kristen Stewart
The final word: “Twilight” fans will like this movie no matter what, and they’ll certainly be just as excited about future sequels, which we know are now officially on the way. My only hope is the filmmakers will put more effort into the story next time. I can see the potential in this thing, but this first film didn’t sell it to me well enough to win me over. Suck on that.
Article by Franck Tabouring