Twilight

C

Directed by Catherine Hardwicke

As much as I try to deny it, I'm a sucker for huge blockbusters. If a film is exciting popular interest I'll more than likely end up watching it just to see what the fuss is about. I often, however, resist the urge to check these types of films out in the movie theater where I would have to shell out my hard earned cash on what would likely prove to be a mildly disappointing or at best mindless and superficial outing and succeed in waiting until these types of movies are available on DVD or even, dare I even say it, on the internet. Catherine Hardwicke's "Twilight," the film adaptation of Stephanie Meyer's wildly succesful vampire novel for teens, certainly qualifies as a blockbuster but I can safely say that I'm glad I waited for it to be out on DVD before I viewed it since this is not, in any terms, a very good film.

To those of you unfamiliar with Meyer's mega bestseller, "Twilight" focuses on the young Bella Swan, a girl from the Sunbelt who is sent to live with her father in the rainy and damp Northwest. She enrolls in the local high school and is immediately mesmerized by the dreamy, pasty white Edward Cullen. Bella's interest in Edward and his mysterious family only deepens as he tries to stear clear of her, a further indication that ladies love guys who are hopelessly aloof. As hard as he tries, however, bad boy Edward can't seem to stay away from Bella as she comes closer and closer to unconvering the truth about Edward and his family.

Vampire films have enjoyed something of a revival in the past few years with the real gem of the movement being Thomas Alfredson's "Let the Right One In." "Twilight," although a similar in its re-imagination of vampire mythology, is obviously no in the same vein as Alfredson's film, being aimed squarely at the same demographic that have so religiously read Meyer's book. As such, Hardwicke's primary goal in adapting "Twilight" to the big screen was likely to stay faithful to the book and deliver the type of swooning, PG Rated romance that "Twilight" readers crave. In Having not read the book it is difficult for me to come out and categorically say that Hardwicke failed in this regard but it seems top me that the essence of "Twilight" was not captured by Hardwicke's adaptation. It must be said that most "Twilight" fans weren't huge supporters of the film adaptation either, which many felt failed to accurately capture the essence of Meyer's novel. Not surprisingly, Hardwicke was swiftly canned after "Twilight" opened to mixed reviews from critics and outrage from fans.
As a viewer with no vested interest in the "Twilight" franchise I must say that on a purely cinematic level, "Twilight" is not a very good film. The story meanders along at a pedestrian pace, the acting is for the most part average and the romantic chemistry between Pattison and Kristen Stewart is lacking, which is probably "Twilight's" biggest failure since the books are in the end a romance between Pattison's Edward and Kristen's Bella.
Despite the failures of the first installment of "Twilight" all is not lost for the franchise which can still bank on the popularity of actors such as Pattison who, despite his inability to fully sell me on his romance with Stewart's character, is not that bad of an actor, as well as the fact that its source material, Meyer's books, have already been given the thumbs up by millions worldwide. All that is left to be done for "New Moon," "Breaking Dawn" and the third book, whose name escapes me at the moment, is to put someone mildly competent at the helm and simply interpret the books accurately.