Film review: Twilight

Tagline

When you can live forever what do you live for?

plot

Seventeen year old Bella moves to Forks to live with her father, Charlie. Originally from warm and sunny Phoenix, Arizona, the dark and rainy Forks isn’t exactly her favourite place to be. At her new school, she is the main attraction, and is quickly taken in by a group of friends. On her first day, during lunch time, a group of kids walk in – all the girls in the theatre will make noises at this point - , all bright and happy and perfect, but above all mysterious. Bella’s new found friends explain that they are the Hales and the Cullens, and that they don’t mingle with common kids. Of course Bella is especially intrigued by one boy of that group; Edward Cullen.

Edward seems to hate Bella, and nearly hurls when she sits next to him in biology. He then disappears for a week, and when he returns, he goes all borderline on her. ‘We shouldn’t be friends, how are you today, don’t come near me, tell me all about yourself, you really should stay away from me, I’m dangerous, I can’t stay away from you.’ Talk about weird… Bella is head over heals and has no intention of staying away from this strange kid. Not even when she finds out what he really is. He gives in and they become an item, which eventually endangers her life and that of the ones she loves.

Twilight is based on the best selling novel by Stephenie Meyer.

Acting

Kristen Stewart plays Bella. Book-Bella was whiney and shallow, but film-Bella is boring. There is absolutely no life in her, though she is more human than her boyfriend. Kristen’s voice is extremely monotone, no matter how excited Bella is, everything she says sounds exactly the same. The girl is dead behind the eyes. Not a good choice for this character. Edward is played by Robert Pattinson, who also played Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter. He has the right looks for the part, but doesn’t always manage to convince. Mind you, that has a lot to do with the lack of chemistry between Edward and Bella. A huge thumbs up for Billy Burke, who plays Bella’s father Charlie. He definitely did a good job. Also Edward’s siblings were very OK, too bad they were all given such small roles.

Overall, Twilight was a huge disappointment. The book is no outstanding novel, but a fun read, and I was looking forward to seeing this on the big screen. The film is boring, the acting not good enough and the only parts where it got remotely exciting was during and after the baseball-scene. Director Catherine Hardwicke and the script writers did a crappy job though, changing key scenes, and allowing terrible acting. I do see some changes had to be to make the story flow better, but I sincerely hope the director that has been contracted to do New Moon delivers better work.

Verdict: Bad. Bad. Bad. And boring. Millions of teenagers seem to love it, but the older people don't share that opinion.

Imre