Twilight
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Peter Facinelli, Elizabeth Reaser, Ashley Greene, Anna Kendrick, Taylor Lautner
Directed by: Catherine Hardwicke
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Romance, Fantasy
2008

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Bella (Kristen Stewart) moves back with her father (Billy Burke) and starts school soon after. She meets Edward (Robert Pattinson), her lab partner. Edward is an odd member of an outcast group, but eventually they become friends. Bella feels like Edward is hiding something, and soon begins to suspect he is a vampire. The only problem is that she is also falling in love with him.

Review:

Tim: What can I say about a movie aimed squarely at teen girls? I have to admit that teen vampire-human love is probably not the ideal premise for someone like me. However, I have to say that I was surprised I didn't dislike this movie. The movie is dark, brooding, and beautifully shot. It features some good performances, and was decently entertaining. I can't say that I loved this movie or would consider myself a fan, but I enjoyed it and felt like there were some definite things to like about it.

One of my favorite parts of the movie is that the cinematography is actually quite good. The film is oftentimes beautiful to look at, as everything takes on a dim but clear quality. Pay attention to the film, because I really liked how it looked. That is not to say it is perfect. The vampire scenes- especially the ones where they are moving very quickly- are awful. The special effects just make them seem silly. However, the normal, dramatic moments nearly leap off the screen at you. I also am a big fan of the 360 camera loop, which was used multiple times in this film.

The cast was decent, although not great. The highlight was Kristen Stewart. She is really becoming a strong actress, and she's terrific here. She is dramatic, romantic, dark, and completely effective. I really liked her in this movie. I thought she was perfectly cast as Bella. Robert Pattinson, on the other hand, I have some issues with. I can't say he did a terrible job, as much as I just want to punch his face repeatedly. He has such an air of superiority about him. He squints his eyes and grins a little grin, and you can tell he thinks very highly of himself. His whole demeanor screamed "Look at me! I'm dark and brooding!" I just did not buy it. Now, I imagine that this role could have been cast much worse, but he still doesn't do a great job. He might be convincing as a vampire, but a wimpy one. The rest of the supporting cast aren't worth mentioning, save for Billy Burke, who was very enjoyable as Bella's dad.

Twilight works best when it focuses on being a high school vampire love story. These are the moments when the movie is truly enjoyable. Bella's discovery, first of Edward as a boy and then as a vampire is fascinating to watch. I always enjoy movies where the main character has to confront some major shift to his or her view of the world. These were among my favorite scenes. The movie becomes less effective starting with the baseball scene (my god, was this scene awful). When the movie turns to a more action-oriented suspenseful vampire film, it starts to fall apart. This movie captures the dramatic and romantic very well, but the more suspenseful parts are lacking.

I was very surprised that I actually liked Twilight. I think Catherine Hardwicke did a commendable job behind the camera. Her direction of the movie is what makes it worthwhile. As I mentioned, Stewart is excellent, Pattinson is adequate, and there are enough good scenes to outweigh the flawed ones. This isn't a bad movie, but I'll admit I have some reservations about where the future movies will go and how effective they will be. Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Adventureland, My Best Friend is a Vampire, Buffy the Vampire Slayer