Twilight

First of, I am no film critic. I know no aspect of film making, none whatsoever and will therefore be writing this review from the perspective of a regular movie goer. So, pardon the very amateurish tone. Second, I understand and respect that everyone is entitled to their opinions. So, Twilight fans, please do NOT bash me or send me hate mails (it will hurt my feelings). Most importantly, please DO NOT DO NOT DO NOT throw blood bags at me or my house.

So, let's get started. I am a vampire fan. So, I was naturally thrilled when I first got my hands on Stephenie Meyer's Twilight novel and that was way before the movie came out. Halfway through the book, I felt it was too easy a read, almost a mindless read that one would pick before going to bed on an exhausted evening. The plot is self serving, single dimensional and lacked the potential to suspend my interest nor fire up my imagination. Some said the author was trying to make the books children friendly and if so, she really did deliver a very watered down fiction of vampire lore. I don't know about you but I like my evil, bloodthirsty, human hunting, fanged vampires that come out at nightfall and burn to ashes at dawn just fine (P/S, I will never forgive Meyer for making vampires sparkle under the sun).


But, it wasn't so much the plot that put me off. Personally, the writing, more specifically the characters' dialogue was downright painful to digest. My eyes were rolled all the way in my head until you could see all my eye whites. I get that it's a teen read, which explains all the teenage angst and the whole hormonally fueled I-want-you-and-I-can't-have-you-but-I-can't-stay-away-from-you-anymore push-pulls("If you were smart, you'd stay away from me" or "I don't have the strength to stay away from you anymore". Seriously? It might help if you didn't keep stalking Bella and messing the poor girl's head, Edward). But I have certainly come across better teen reads that didn't make me wanna gag every few lines. Anyway, I am not reviewing the book but the movie and I am going to stay as objective as I can.

First up, the bad.

1)The acting. Now don't get me wrong. I am a fan of Rob Pattinson. He was great as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and he actually fits the bill of Edward Cullen. He is tall, BEAUTIFUL (Have I mentioned beautiful already? Oh yes), sensitive and immediately likable. His pained look and confusion hit jackpot, especially with the female viewers. However, he probably would have fared better if he was in a silent movie. The moment he opened his mouth (when he first introduced himself to Bella in the lab), I cringed bad, baby. It was awkward and pure agony to watch. Although he did immerse more in the character later on but I am afraid he did not quite make the cut of good acting in my books. And Jackson Rathbone's character, Jasper pretty much looked constipated throughout the movie which was a shame as I enjoyed his performance in Big Stan as the druggie/hippie and what can I say, he's a hottie, MEOWWWRRR.



2) Character development. I never quite liked Bella in the books and frankly, her character is about as interesting as a vegetable in the movie. I would rather watch my sprouts grow actually. At least she was witty and had good comebacks in the novels. However, I am afraid there was nothing going on for her on screen. I found myself neither interested nor sympathetic in her and her infatuation with Edward. She looked cold, bored and unmoved throughout the movie and that was exactly how I felt with her. Her blank facial expressions and monotonous voice really got to me after a while and I hate to say this, but the only time I felt something for the poor girl was when James the villain (ah yes, that's more like how I like my vampires) snapped her leg.


3)Make Up. This has gotta be the worst make up in the history of film making. I get it that they are vampires and are supposed to look ghastly pale and far from human like. I would have thought they would look marble white and translucent with an almost ethereal quality. But the vampires in the movie looked like they were hit by a sack of flour in the face. You know sometimes when I do my make up in the car, I end up looking like a baboon's ass with too much blusher on as I couldn't see how much blusher I was really putting on from the dim light in the car? I am guessing that's probably their case too when they applied the foundation a tad too liberally.



4) Editing. The transition from one scene to another were rather choppy. Usually I don't mind it, but in the movie the choppiness were hard to ignore.

5) Close ups. Close ups are vital in good film making as they provide the audience an up close and frontal view of the actor's emotions and facial expressions otherwise missed. However, in the movie, the close ups were too in your face. Many times, I felt like pushing their faces a little back into the screen so I could actually see the whole frame and background rather than count their pores or see Rob's contacts.

And then there are a few scenes which I wished Hardwicke did not throw in just for the sake of lengthening the movie. The one where Edward zoomed from one side of the car to another was so comical I had to suppress a laugh. And the one he stepped out of his silver Volvo with his cool shades with the rock music blaring and Rob flashing his Watch-me-I-am-in-love smirk (the one where you hear the collective sigh from the females in the movies)?


And what's the deal with Jacob's native Indian hair anyway? The lad's not bad looking but the hair must go.


Alright, now before you Twilight fans light your torches and put a stake through my heart or leave me under the sun to die (wait, I won't die, I'll just sparkle. Oh wait, I am not a vampire even), let me move on to the goods.

1) Backdrop. The whole setting of the film was bleak and gloomy to a perfect balance, the mood somber and well suited for the story to take place. The shooting location was well picked and showed us some amazing picturesque countryside scenes. The meadow and woods looked inviting and the cinematography was beautiful for its worth.

2) Special effects. I love the testosterone charged baseball scene, enough said. The fight between Edward and James in the ballet studio with the clever usage of mirrors were awesome and gripping.

3) Screenplay. This is rather tricky. Of all the reviews I have gone through, one mentioned that it is almost impossible to judge the screenplay positively when the books adapted from were not favored. However, I feel that Mellisa Rosenberg did a commendable job. Although some of the film's retained dialogue were totally disastrous, (The lion fell in love with the lamb????!!!! How about the analogy of vampires feeding on animals is like humans on a tofu diet which keeps you strong but you are never fully satisfied? I WANT TO KILL MYSELF, SO HELP ME), Rosenberg actually omitted MOST of the excruciating parts from the book and made the movie more bearable. So kudos to Rosenberg.

4) Cast. Ok, I know I bashed Rob and Jackson's acting earlier on, but I must say some of the other actors did a pretty decent job. Ashley Greene's Alice was perky, cute and friendly whom I can't help but take a liking to. Then there's Billy Burke who pulled off the role of a concerned, slightly socially inept dad who doesn't quite know how to show his love or act in front of his teenage daughter and her adolescent relationships. But the best cast for me has to be Cam Gigandet who well portrayed the menacing James who stops at nothing to hunt and kill. Every smirk was meaningful and well translated while every look piercing and chilling to the heart. He's one to look out for.


And last but not least, Victoria, oh Victoria. Rachelle Lefevre is that of a perfect female vampire for me. Sinfully beautiful, conniving, evil...what more can you ask? I know I am looking forward to the next movie, New Moon, because of her. Yep.


5) Soundtrack. The soundtrack is AMAZING, I must say. Have a listen at Bella's Lullaby, Clair de Lune and also Iron & Wine's Flightless Bird, American Mouth. Also, it may please you Rob Pattinson fans out there to know that he composed two songs for the movie - Let Me Sign and Don't Think. I have to say Rob is a very talented musician. All in all, I enjoy the soundtrack. Take my word, download it or buy it better still.

Another noteworthy mention is the on screen chemistry between Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. I thought it believable and I am confident it will get better in the next movie and I can't wait for the magic to happen. Also, Rob impressed me with his American accent (he's English).

So, here's my two cents worth on the movie. The verdict is, just watch it with no expectations. Just sit back, relax and enjoy a movie and popcorn. Don't look too much into it, don't compare it with other vampire movies you have watched, don't compare it to the novels and you'll have a higher chance of enjoying it. I will watch this again on DVD and I will also watch the next few movies. But, if I had to rate this, I would say its a mediocre but no less entertaining movie. I give it 2 stars out of 5.