Remember Me (C+ or 2.5/4 stars)
Well, I found Robert Pattinson forgettable in the Harry Potter franchise. And he's basically a non-entity in the Twilight franchise (stand there, brood, whisper, sparkle, etc.). But I have to say, I was more impressed with him here in 'Remember Me' (directed by Allen Coulter, Hollywoodland) than I thought I'd be. This film opens with a short prologue set in 1991 that shows the train platform murder of the mom (Martha Plimpton) of 11 yr. old Ally (played as an adult by Lost's Emilie de Ravin). The plot then picks up 10 yrs. later in NYC, the summer of 2001. Rebellious Tyler Hawkins (Pattinson), just short of his 22nd birthday, is shunning away from the world, thinking deeply about his older brother, Michael, who committed suicide 6 yrs. prior.
To cheer him up, Tyler's roommate, Aidan (Tate Ellington), suggests alcohol & girls as a way to get out of the funk. But that idea turns disastrous; as Tyler gets in an altercation & takes his frustration out on the head cop at the scene, Sgt. Neil Craig (Chris Cooper). And Tyler's belligerent approach earns him both a bruised face & a night in jail. Tyler is then bailed out by his very-rich lawyer father, Wall Street hotshot Charles Hawkins (Pierce Brosnan); & to say that father & son don't get along is an understatement. Aidan encourages Tyler to seek revenge against Sgt. Craig. And what better way to do it than by dating the man's daughter, Ally - a girl in his global politics class; who also happens to be the girl who lost her mom on the train platform 10 yrs. earlier.
Their initial meeting is strained, but with time, they hit it off. For purposes of plot, she moves in with Tyler some days later, & he starts to genuinely fall in love. In this time, the motherless Ally (who also doesn't get along with her cop father) learns about Tyler's complicated life - his parents split in the wake of his brother's suicide, hates his dad, pities his mom (Lena Olin), & loves his little sister, Caroline (Ruby Jerins), to death. The more he opens up to her, the more inclined she is to get him to live life to the fullest, & divulge her own sad past (witnessing her own mother's murder). He begins to find meaning & happiness in his privileged, but sorry life. But again, due to plot contrivance and an unusual twist of fate, hidden secrets are revealed, & a tragedy of epic proportion occurs for everyone involved.
'RM' is a story about the strength/fragility of family, the power of love, the power of mourning, & the importance of living every moment of every day; for you never know when it will be your last. In movie form, I was slowly, but surely won-over by these themes & how the film plays out. There's nothing flashy or unique about 'RM'. But any hesitations I had in the 1st half hour or so go away with plausible character development & strong family dynamics. It's a decently-made movie, as well. The story is unique, there's a muted quality to the cinematography that (sounds awful) but actually works, I liked the color palette used in most scenes, the character relationships are strong, & the acting is stellar. Having not cared for many of these people early on, I wound up caring for several of them.
I think a major problem the film faces is its overwhelmingly bleak outlook. Yes, certain characters move on & grow as individuals after the credits roll. But you always know (during the film) that something(s) is going to go horribly wrong ... and it sure as Hell does. It's a morose film, at times. Heavy. Not bad, but heavy. Elements from the 9/11 attack hover over the entire movie (from the beginning to the bitter end). If you're aware of it, it makes the ending have an inevitability that weighs on you throughout. Everyone in the movie is annoying, angry, & sad; searching for that aforementioned happiness/meaning in the darkness. That makes for a difficult viewing. Also, while I mentioned that the story in unique, the actual script contains too many overcooked plot points, some silly dialogues (reaching self-conscious levels), & a few too many coincidences to swallow. And my final complaint of the film is that the romance isn't as magnetic as I'd have liked it to be.
As mentioned, Pattinson impressed me, here. Once spoiled & agitated, his Tyler evolves by the end. His intense scenes with Brosnan strike a chord. But more importantly, it's what he does when he's not spouting dialogue that showed me that he actually has some acting chops. Emilie de Ravin is cute-as-a-button. And she also impressed me; if not as much as Pattinson. Some of her scenes with him work, some don't. But I loved her last shot in the movie. It's a perfect shot. Brosnan, Cooper & Olin have their moments; especially Brosnan, surprisingly. I bought his portrayal completely. And young Ruby Jerins is excellent as Tyler's neglected, but loving little sister. There's a scene where Tyler comes to her defense at her school that gave me goose bumps; I loved everything about it.
So, overall, it's emotionally manipulative (using world tragedy to excuse cliches), & sometimes dreary movie that gets a tepid recommendation out of me; due to the originality of the story & some surprisingly stellar performances. Manipulated or not, I was affected by this bittersweet film.
To cheer him up, Tyler's roommate, Aidan (Tate Ellington), suggests alcohol & girls as a way to get out of the funk. But that idea turns disastrous; as Tyler gets in an altercation & takes his frustration out on the head cop at the scene, Sgt. Neil Craig (Chris Cooper). And Tyler's belligerent approach earns him both a bruised face & a night in jail. Tyler is then bailed out by his very-rich lawyer father, Wall Street hotshot Charles Hawkins (Pierce Brosnan); & to say that father & son don't get along is an understatement. Aidan encourages Tyler to seek revenge against Sgt. Craig. And what better way to do it than by dating the man's daughter, Ally - a girl in his global politics class; who also happens to be the girl who lost her mom on the train platform 10 yrs. earlier.
Their initial meeting is strained, but with time, they hit it off. For purposes of plot, she moves in with Tyler some days later, & he starts to genuinely fall in love. In this time, the motherless Ally (who also doesn't get along with her cop father) learns about Tyler's complicated life - his parents split in the wake of his brother's suicide, hates his dad, pities his mom (Lena Olin), & loves his little sister, Caroline (Ruby Jerins), to death. The more he opens up to her, the more inclined she is to get him to live life to the fullest, & divulge her own sad past (witnessing her own mother's murder). He begins to find meaning & happiness in his privileged, but sorry life. But again, due to plot contrivance and an unusual twist of fate, hidden secrets are revealed, & a tragedy of epic proportion occurs for everyone involved.
'RM' is a story about the strength/fragility of family, the power of love, the power of mourning, & the importance of living every moment of every day; for you never know when it will be your last. In movie form, I was slowly, but surely won-over by these themes & how the film plays out. There's nothing flashy or unique about 'RM'. But any hesitations I had in the 1st half hour or so go away with plausible character development & strong family dynamics. It's a decently-made movie, as well. The story is unique, there's a muted quality to the cinematography that (sounds awful) but actually works, I liked the color palette used in most scenes, the character relationships are strong, & the acting is stellar. Having not cared for many of these people early on, I wound up caring for several of them.
I think a major problem the film faces is its overwhelmingly bleak outlook. Yes, certain characters move on & grow as individuals after the credits roll. But you always know (during the film) that something(s) is going to go horribly wrong ... and it sure as Hell does. It's a morose film, at times. Heavy. Not bad, but heavy. Elements from the 9/11 attack hover over the entire movie (from the beginning to the bitter end). If you're aware of it, it makes the ending have an inevitability that weighs on you throughout. Everyone in the movie is annoying, angry, & sad; searching for that aforementioned happiness/meaning in the darkness. That makes for a difficult viewing. Also, while I mentioned that the story in unique, the actual script contains too many overcooked plot points, some silly dialogues (reaching self-conscious levels), & a few too many coincidences to swallow. And my final complaint of the film is that the romance isn't as magnetic as I'd have liked it to be.
As mentioned, Pattinson impressed me, here. Once spoiled & agitated, his Tyler evolves by the end. His intense scenes with Brosnan strike a chord. But more importantly, it's what he does when he's not spouting dialogue that showed me that he actually has some acting chops. Emilie de Ravin is cute-as-a-button. And she also impressed me; if not as much as Pattinson. Some of her scenes with him work, some don't. But I loved her last shot in the movie. It's a perfect shot. Brosnan, Cooper & Olin have their moments; especially Brosnan, surprisingly. I bought his portrayal completely. And young Ruby Jerins is excellent as Tyler's neglected, but loving little sister. There's a scene where Tyler comes to her defense at her school that gave me goose bumps; I loved everything about it.
So, overall, it's emotionally manipulative (using world tragedy to excuse cliches), & sometimes dreary movie that gets a tepid recommendation out of me; due to the originality of the story & some surprisingly stellar performances. Manipulated or not, I was affected by this bittersweet film.