Friday, March 19, 2010

Great Cinematical Article/Discussion: Post-Movie Coffee: Remember Me



The idea for this series has been swimming around in my head for a while, but it never insisted on hitting the written page until now. Last week, Robert Pattinson's Remember Me hit the screen. Before its release, public concern focused on how Pattinson would deal with a mainstream starring role that didn't have him grimacing every time the tasty-smelling Bella Swan walked by. Once people saw the film and its controversial ending, however, the dialogue flipped. In what has to be one of the lowest scores for a decent movie, the film has suffered a 26% Fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, with critiques flinging words like ridiculous, manipulative, overwrought, shamelessly exploitative, insignificant, trivializing, vile, cheap, and unforgivable.

And for the first time in a very long time, I completely disagree with popular critical opinion.

(Seeing that this is a discussion of the film and its ending, here is your obvious SPOILER WARNING.)

Remember Me focuses on the hot-headed but well-meaning life of Tyler Hawkins (Robert Pattinson), and his romance with the good girl Ally Craig (Emilie de Ravin). The story is nothing new. Both have suffered terrible tragedy in their past -- Ally's mom was killed in front of her at a young age, while Tyler's brother killed himself -- and they play out the timeless tale of the misunderstood bad guy and that rare girl who recognizes his noble motivations. All the typical characterizations are there: bad-dad Charles Hawkins (Pierce Brosnan), the overprotective pop Sgt. Neil Craig (Chris Cooper), the slutty and immature best man-friend Aidan Hall (Tate Ellington), and the smarter-than-her-years younger sister Caroline Hawkins (Ruby Jerins).

While the characters are all too familiar, how their lives play out is not. Usually a drama uses character twists that you may or may not buy into -- the bad guy goes good, the good guy goes bad. In Remember Me, it's all grey, where even the most stereotypical aspects are given real rationale. Young Caroline is an art prodigy, but this rare talent isn't just a cinematic device bubbling up out of nowhere -- you can see how she's developed her talent as a desperate way to earn her father's attention and approval. That dad Charles, meanwhile, fills out every truly despicable bad father moment, but when faced with severe trauma, when his familial awkwardness is replaced by the instinctual drive to protect his family, he becomes real. The realism in these characterizations makes them familiar not because we've seen them so many times before, but because they become like people we've encountered through our lives, rather than just people on a screen.

That's compounded by a strict decision not to wallow in pain. Save the shocking death of Ally's mother in the beginning of the film, Allen Coulter chooses to back off the ten-tissue drama where we see people sob and fall apart. The knife is not stuck in and twisted. There is always emotion, but he knows you don't have to show it to make an impact. When Caroline walks into that party of jerky little girls, your gut knows what will happen, but instead of lingering, we only see the aftermath. And of course, when Tyler bikes to his dad's office, finally finding the humanity in the man he's hated, we don't see why this moment is both beautiful and devastating first-hand.

The ending... With hints that you either recognize from the get-go, or smack your head in exasperation afterward, Tyler is waiting for Charles in his World Trade Center office. Caroline's teacher has written the date on the board -- September 11, 2001. You don't need to see the explosion; you know what happens. The camera pans out from the towers, and then we're shown a brief montage of each character dealing with the tragedy. Neil tries to help with the disaster; Caroline walks out of the school and realizes her brother or dad will never again be there to get her or drop her off; Charles realizes that he is losing another son, just as he got him back. The shots linger long enough to pay tribute without hungrily eating up each character's pain. And when it ends with Ally taking that subway ride she never got to take a decade before, it's the right time.

I can understand why many viewers are angered. September 11 is the gut-wrenching tragedy people of today live with. The film taps into our collective experience, which recalls our own pain while making these people real. The story gains a semblance of reality much more worthy than if the obviously doomed Tyler got killed in an accident, shot, or any other typical deadly device. The film is about 9/11 in that many normal, regular people were lost in those towers, who had lives much like our own. They weren't heroes or demons, just people who died much too soon. Situated as it is, we're reminded of our own loved ones and people we lost, how each person in that tower had a story, and simply that at any time, this can all be taken away -- whether by an act that affects one, or an act that affects the world.

To frame this as a 9/11 story in marketing or presentation would make this film's meaning cease to exist. Every action and reaction would be a means to an ever-looming end, rather than a real life simply snuffed out without warning by a terrible tragedy. That day is so big, so heavy, that no real story -- where heroism is no more than humanity -- could hold up to the pressure. And as we sit here almost ten years later, it's nice to stop thinking about the spectacle and what came after, and to imagine the stories that were lost.

Obviously, I'm in the minority, so I'd love to hear what you think below. Did you like it? If you didn't, how would you have changed the film, or how could the same story be made in a way that you appreciate?

Cinematical

10 Best Tidbits on the 'New Moon' DVD/Blu-ray

The Twilight Saga: New Moon comes to DVD and Blu-ray this weekend, which means you're this close to hitting replay on those shirtless Jacob scenes and Edward's Volturi showdown until your DVD player wears out. And though midnight shoppers and discerning Twi-hards have plenty of retailer exclusive special editions to choose from (we recommend the Wal-mart exclusive for a sneak peek at Eclipse and the Target version for deleted scenes), I've highlighted the ten juiciest tidbits you'll get on the two-disc Special Edition DVD and single-disc Blu-ray. Check them out after the jump.

[Note: Both the 2-disc Special Edition DVD or the single-disc Blu-ray contain the following special features: an audio commentary with director Chris Weitz and editor Peter Lambert; a six-part documentary with plenty of behind-the-scenes looks and cast & crew interviews; music videos from soundtrack artists Anya Marina, Mutemath, and more; and rehearsal footage with Stephenie Meyer favorites Muse.]

1. Rob on Robmania

In part one of the extensive six-part documentary (titled "Life After Twilight"), New Moon's cast talk about the craziness that ensued after the first film debuted and how the fervent fandom changed their lives. Between shots from the Twilight premiere and the infamously raucous Comic-Con panel, Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Justin Chon, and more of their co-stars reminisce from the New Moon set on how Twilight changed everything. Best of all, Rob addresses his fans, who have come to worship Edward Cullen so much that they now, as he says, "defend my honor in reality."

2. The cast roasts Chris Weitz

Part 2 of the documentary focuses on New Moon director Chris Weitz, which is really just an opportunity for his actors to gently tease him about everything from his hairiness to the distinguished way he carries himself on set. We get plenty of behind-the-scenes peeks at Weitz's directing style, and it's clear that he's endeared himself to his cast: Lautner calls him a "goofball," Jamie Campbell-Bower accuses Weitz of secretly wanting to be British, and Michael Sheen describes his unshaven-yet-elegant look as "a cross between a wolf and a vampire."

3. Bella runs full-speed into Edward's arms

The doc offers a wealth of footage of nearly every set and big scene in New Moon, but our favorite is the behind-the-scenes footage of Bella's run through the Volterra square that bookends the film. In the movie we only see it in slow-motion, but here you can see what it looks like at full speed: Kristen Stewart pushes her way frantically through the crowd, speeds through the fountain, and nearly knocks Robert Pattinson over as she jumps breathlessly into his open arms.

4. Jacob's parkour scene, sans special effects

Taylor Lautner may have been wired for safety when he leapt and twisted his way into Bella's second story window, but Weitz says it was all Taylor doing the stunt. We get to see Lautner perform the trick in one fluid, impressive motion. (Another fun fact from New Moon's costume designer: Lautner's t-shirts were all taken in and made smaller to show off his muscles.) Elsewhere there's a great look at the fight choreography and filming of Edward's fight with Felix that shows Pattinson and Daniel Cudmore going at it with wires and break-away props.

5. KStew celebrates her birthday on-set

I'm not so fanatical as to remember Kristen Stewart's birthday (okay, it's April 9) but the cast and crew didn't forget during production on New Moon - and a camera was there to capture the celebration. Watch as Stewart is surprised in the Forks High School parking lot by a birthday cake celebration while filming Bella's birthday morning scene with Pattinson and New Moon's human teens. (Later, Pattinson gets a birthday celebration of his own while filming in the Volturi chamber.)

6. See the "break-up scene" play out in alternate takes

Ah, the break-up scene. It's the source of Bella's heartbreak and one of the most emotional scenes to watch ? and hilariously, the actors had to battle swarms of mosquitoes to deliver just the right dramatic pitch while filming in a thicket of trees. Later, we get to watch the scene through playback monitors as Pattinson tries out different tones and line deliveries, breaking up with Bella over and over again in various ways.

7. Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson ad-lib "I love you"

I dare you to hear this story and not squee deep down inside: in the scene before Edward dumps Bella, she tells him she loves him, a line Weitz explains came from the actors themselves. His take is that it gives the scene to come more emotional weight because it's a sad sort of "I love you," which makes their break-up all the more tragic.

8. Vampire sparkling explained!

We can all agree that Edward's sparkling skin in New Moon was a giant leap forward from the effects in Twilight, and here we learn the thinking behind his new look; think sparkling marble instead of diamonds, which is what Weitz and his effects team came up with. To achieve the look, Pattinson's face and body were scanned to create a full-body 3D model (to answer your next question, the feature sadly doesn't show said body scan).

9. Chris Weitz and Peter Lambert's commentary track

Unfortunately, none of the cast are included in the audio commentary; instead, director Weitz is joined remotely by editor Peter Lambert for a lively, if mostly technical, discussion of New Moon's production. Weitz seems aware that viewers may not be familiar with filmmaking terms, and takes time to explain things like framing or camera tricks for the uninitiated. The pair also explains certain elements that eagle-eyed fans may have noticed, such as why Edward's car is black and not silver (it's on purpose!) and how his framing of the early parking lot scenes with Bella, Edward and Jacob foreshadow the character dynamics to come. Basically, the commentary covers all the little details you ever wanted to ask Weitz, including where the idea for Face Punch came from, although many of his comments are repeated in the six-part documentary.

10. Somewhere in the world there's a 3-hour cut of New Moon!

Okay, that somewhere is most likely only on editor Peter Lambert's computer. But fans can dream, can't they? Lambert and Weitz discuss how their first cut ran an uber-long three hours before they whittled it down to cut out the "breathy beats." (Come on, we love the breathy beats!) Weitz and Lambert reveal that there were originally more funny lines from actress Anna Kendrick, a "karate death chop" pose by Michael Sheen's Aro, and a dream sequence with Edward and a live wolf.

Fearnet

Rob's Interview With Coming Soon Italy - Talks About The Price of Fame and Filming 'Remember Me'

Antena 3 Interview With Rob at the UK 'Remember Me' Premiere

Only positive reviews and a new interview

The german TV magazines are out today and all reviews are positive.
I only buy the large ones but all I saw say the same:
Remember Me is a good movie and Rob improves as an actor. :-)

New Moon Extended Scenes!







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NY1 Movie Interview From the 'Remember Me' Press Junket - Talks about James Dean Comparisons

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