Twilight
Crit
Oh, those teenage boys, they're all the same: they kiss your neck, maybe even nibble on it lightly, but when you're dying for the big chomp, they go all it-just-wouldn't-be-right on you.Assuming that the film is faithful to the first book, I can see why the series is hugely popular with teens, especially teenage girls: it makes abstinence not only cool but tragic. That's about the most brilliant marketing imaginable.
Of course, the textual abstinence here is vampirism: our hormonal heroine Bella (Kristen Stewart, the wonderful fresh face from Into the Wild) falls hook, line, and aorta for a member of a family of "vegetarian" vamps--which is to say they dine on only nonhuman animals. They represent a majority of their kind in the film, but one suspects that in the sequel (which has already begun, in the final shot of this one), we'll get a more accurate representation of the demon-graphics, and that those who can't or won't resist the taste of human blood will predominate.
Looking back on what I've written, I find that it sounds dismissive, sounds as if I hated the film. Not at all: it's completely goofy, but it's far from terrible. I guess I just regret that it made me feel so grown-up and logical and cynical. I would have preferred to have had as much trouble resisting it as Edward (the inexplicably hearthrobby Robert Pattinson) has resisting Bella's carotid.
Trailers
- Valkyrie--Actually, I first saw this trailer last weekend, but I guess I couldn't keep two Cruises in my head simultaneously; this one looks like MI4.
- Coraline--Animation in the style of director Henry Selick's Nightmare Before Christmas; another replay of The Wizard of Oz.
- Knowing--Looks like another plea for career intervention from Nic Cage.
- Adventureland--The brilliant Jesse Eisenberg (Roger Dodger, The Squid and the Whale) teamed with Kristen Stewart (about whom I thought during the trailer, "Where have I seen her? Is she the girl from Into the Wild?" and yet when the feature started, I didn't realize that it was the same girl) in another wacky-teen-life comedy from Greg Mottola (Superbad). Skeptical, hopeful.
4 comments:
Well, you pretty much KNEW I was going to write something.
As vampire flicks go, I think it was pretty good. Most either go the way of gore or the way of camp or the way of silliness. This was goofy in a study-hall kind of way, but at least it avoided the camp and the gore. So thumbs up there.
The problem is that the book is all about character development and 2 hours is not much to get very far in that department. Part of what made the book magical (for teens and grown ups) was the development of their relationship. Here, it was like vampire smells girl, girl flies, bad vampire tries to take girl, the end. I know its a movie, but still. Some of the best stuff in the book was about the human and this vampire family.
Speaking of which. This movie is about abstinence. It's also about families--perhaps with a slightly unusual frame of reference given the author's religion, if you see what I mean. Actually, that's true on both counts.
Pattison was surprisingly good, in my opinion, as was young Ms. Stewart. Billy Burke did a good job, too. Will be interesting to see what the actress playing Alice will do with a role that only becomes more central as the story develops.
As for the effects, they were a bit jerky and I could have done with less atmospheric fog shots. The two in the tree was excellent. Mostly, I want to see more of what Mr. Pattison can do in that Volvo in terms of driving maneuvers. Then I want to get me a Volvo.
Yeah, fun to see a real car in a chase sequence instead of the usual Aston Martin.
My daughter has expressed interest in the books ahead of the movie, so I'm glad to hear you confirm that that's the smart way to go.
Re Alice: is that a great freakin' hairstyle or WHAT! She was probably the most interesting character for me: didn't know whether to trust her expressed warmth toward Bella, and still not sure exactly how to read it. (By the way, does no one become a vampire after the age of 25? Even the "parents" look like tykes. Also, don't ugly people ever become vampires?)
Don't know anything about the author's religion; 'splain.
There were other things I wanted to bring up after the comment that, yes, I was counting on from you, but I can't think what they were; maybe I'll remember by next weekend, when I'll be reviewing Let the Right One In.
First, daughter must read books first. Must, must, must.
Second, if you like Alice, hold on to your socks. And perhaps you, too, need to read the books. :) I liked Alice's leap followed by the twisting of the head off the shoulders myself, but next movie: Alice steals a yellow Porsche. 'Nuf said. And the hair just keep getting wackier!
Ms. Meyer is Mormon. That's all I'm saying for now.
Okay, so Papa Cheese has requested that I post my comments here instead of just privately via e-mail, so...
1st, about that sexy redhead (Vistoria?)? Hot...can't wait to see more of her.
My verdict: The movie is not very good, especially compared to the book. In particular, Edward is all wrong (should be prettier, more androgynous, more R+J DiCapprio/less Streetcar Brando). The make-up and hair suck…they all look like people in vampire drag…what’s with the lipstick and the clownlike whiteface?? The adaptation feels really choppy, including some unnecessary material, and leaving out some important details. Most of the supporting characters (esp. teenagers) feel like caricatures, and they don’t in the book. Many of the gratuitous special effects feel forced and silly. They took some liberties in the scene in the ballet studio that I hated (in the book, Bella was all alone with James until she became unconscious, so everything that happened after that point was very hazy. I thought that loneliness while facing her doom was much more effective). But there are good things, too. I really like the girl who they’ve cast as Bella, and I like her dad. I also like Alice (one of my favorite characters in the book), although they did not use her as much as they should have in the first movie. Overall, the look of the movie beautiful.
The book is MUCH better than the movie. Isn’t that usually the case? The book has its flaws, as well, but it does an excellent job of maintaining my interest, and reminding me what it feels like to be a teenager in love.
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