Reviews page
Twilight - 2008
It's no spoiler to reveal that Edward is a vampire, because the film is predominantly a love story and an advert for teenage abstinence (the author of the book that Twilight is based on, Stephenie Meyer, is a Mormon) with a few vampires thrown in. Edward's vampirism doesn't put Bella off at all. She falls head over heels in love with him despite the fact that he's over a hundred years old and his instincts tell him to kill her. See, the Cullens are 'vegetarian' vampires; they survive on the blood of the deer who roam the forests of cloudy Forks, but Edward admits that it's nowhere near as satisfying as eating humans. Bella's scent drives him crazy with a mixture of lust and hunger and he's worried that if he gets too carried away he'll end up killing her. Bella doesn't seem phased by this. In fact, for someone who's just found out the boy she fancies is an undead killer and that she may well be his next meal, Bella is remarkably nonchalant.
Still, they make a handsome couple and soon the whole school are talking about them. Bella meets Edward's foster family in an amusing scene that recognises the absurdity of the situation and has some fun with it ("You're going to a house full of vampires and you're worried about making a good impression?") and on the whole, the Cullens are welcoming and friendly. One day, as a thunderstorm crackles overhead, they invite Bella to their baseball game and all is well until three vampires emerge out of the trees. These travelling vamps don't follow the Cullens' diet and have been killing people in town. When one of the three strangers, James, catches a whiff of Bella's scent, it becomes clear to Edward and his family that he will not simply move on out of the area like his companions; he wants Bella and he'll stop at nothing to have her. So begins a desperate quest to get Bella out of harm's way and save her life.
Catherine Hardwicke's film is a strange viewing experience. It's clearly aimed at young teenage girls who can swoon over Edward and imagine themselves as Bella, but for everyone else, Twilight has limited appeal. Some of the dialogue is laughably bad and the special effects elicit some giggles (especially when Edward is racing around with Bella on his back; he looks a bit like the Roadrunner from the old Warner Bros. cartoons). Hardwicke captures the majestic beauty of her Oregon locations and the film looks good, but the pace slackens at various points and Melissa Rosenberg's script is bogged down with numerous supporting characters who make little impact but are necessary because they'll feature more heavily in the sequels (there are four books in the Twilight saga).
As for the leads, Robert Pattinson does a good enough job as Edward, conveying the appropriate mix of longing, tenderness and torment, but he's a little awkward at times. His performance is promising though, and if the rest of the books do get made it looks like he'll be able to get more comfortable with the character and do some very good work. Kristin Stewart does the best she can with Bella but can't do much to remedy that fact that she's written as a bit of a drip, especially when her love for Edward eclipses all common sense. Part of the problem is that without copious chapters devoted to the couple falling in love, it's hard to see what the fuss is about. Their attraction seems to be mainly physical, with the film suggesting that there's some mysterious connection at work that the audience isn't shown any more clearly than by Edward saving Bella's life a few times and a montage of them talking in her room.
Twilight is quite funny in places (sometimes intentionally) and is entertaining enough if you surrender yourself to the love story and the film's more ridiculous elements. Many people will love it while others will wonder what all the fuss is about. By fusing the two genres together, Twilight exists as a love story with no sex and a vampire story with no gore, and ends up being a little, well, bloodless.
by Catherine Leopold - 2008-12-21
Bella Swan, a quiet and pretty 17-year-old, moves from sunny Arizona to the tiny town of Forks, Washington to live with her father when her mother remarries and goes travelling with her new husband. She makes friends with a nice bunch of people at her new school, but she's intrigued by the Cullens, a group of pale-faced, fashionable foster-siblings who never mix with the other students. Bella is particularly drawn to Edward Cullen, a good-looking guy who has a nice line in sultry pouting and tortured glares. Edward behaves strangely towards Bella - one day he seems repulsed by her, the next day he's friendly - and for her part Bella is quietly fascinated by him. When Edward saves her from an out-of-control van, moving impossibly fast and stopping the vehicle with just his hand, Bella wants some answers. Edward refuses to explain but this only makes Bella more interested in him.It's no spoiler to reveal that Edward is a vampire, because the film is predominantly a love story and an advert for teenage abstinence (the author of the book that Twilight is based on, Stephenie Meyer, is a Mormon) with a few vampires thrown in. Edward's vampirism doesn't put Bella off at all. She falls head over heels in love with him despite the fact that he's over a hundred years old and his instincts tell him to kill her. See, the Cullens are 'vegetarian' vampires; they survive on the blood of the deer who roam the forests of cloudy Forks, but Edward admits that it's nowhere near as satisfying as eating humans. Bella's scent drives him crazy with a mixture of lust and hunger and he's worried that if he gets too carried away he'll end up killing her. Bella doesn't seem phased by this. In fact, for someone who's just found out the boy she fancies is an undead killer and that she may well be his next meal, Bella is remarkably nonchalant.
Still, they make a handsome couple and soon the whole school are talking about them. Bella meets Edward's foster family in an amusing scene that recognises the absurdity of the situation and has some fun with it ("You're going to a house full of vampires and you're worried about making a good impression?") and on the whole, the Cullens are welcoming and friendly. One day, as a thunderstorm crackles overhead, they invite Bella to their baseball game and all is well until three vampires emerge out of the trees. These travelling vamps don't follow the Cullens' diet and have been killing people in town. When one of the three strangers, James, catches a whiff of Bella's scent, it becomes clear to Edward and his family that he will not simply move on out of the area like his companions; he wants Bella and he'll stop at nothing to have her. So begins a desperate quest to get Bella out of harm's way and save her life.
Catherine Hardwicke's film is a strange viewing experience. It's clearly aimed at young teenage girls who can swoon over Edward and imagine themselves as Bella, but for everyone else, Twilight has limited appeal. Some of the dialogue is laughably bad and the special effects elicit some giggles (especially when Edward is racing around with Bella on his back; he looks a bit like the Roadrunner from the old Warner Bros. cartoons). Hardwicke captures the majestic beauty of her Oregon locations and the film looks good, but the pace slackens at various points and Melissa Rosenberg's script is bogged down with numerous supporting characters who make little impact but are necessary because they'll feature more heavily in the sequels (there are four books in the Twilight saga).
As for the leads, Robert Pattinson does a good enough job as Edward, conveying the appropriate mix of longing, tenderness and torment, but he's a little awkward at times. His performance is promising though, and if the rest of the books do get made it looks like he'll be able to get more comfortable with the character and do some very good work. Kristin Stewart does the best she can with Bella but can't do much to remedy that fact that she's written as a bit of a drip, especially when her love for Edward eclipses all common sense. Part of the problem is that without copious chapters devoted to the couple falling in love, it's hard to see what the fuss is about. Their attraction seems to be mainly physical, with the film suggesting that there's some mysterious connection at work that the audience isn't shown any more clearly than by Edward saving Bella's life a few times and a montage of them talking in her room.
Twilight is quite funny in places (sometimes intentionally) and is entertaining enough if you surrender yourself to the love story and the film's more ridiculous elements. Many people will love it while others will wonder what all the fuss is about. By fusing the two genres together, Twilight exists as a love story with no sex and a vampire story with no gore, and ends up being a little, well, bloodless.