Remember Me was released in the US this weekend. Since it’s not released in the UK until April 2nd, I’ll keep it as spoiler free as possible. The general gap in release dates is actually discussed in another post that you can find here. Now, on to the review.
Remember Me tells the story of Tyler (Robert Pattinson) and Ally (Emilie de Ravine) as two twenty something college students, both rocked by individual family tragedies and both fighting their own personal demons.
Toward the beginning of the film, Tyler ends up getting arrested and the arresting officer happens to be Ally’s father, Sgt. Neil Craig (Chris Cooper). Encouraged by his best friend, Tyler initiates a relationship with Ally as a way of “getting back” at her father.
Tyler, of course, has issues of his own. He’s floating through life, not really focused on anything. The only thing that seems to bring him out of his shell is the relationship with his younger sister Caroline (played very effectively by Ruby Jerins). He has a seemingly decent relationship with his mother (Lena Olin) but the relationship with his career focused and driven father (Pierce Brosnan) is rocky to say the least. They don’t click and they don’t really care for each other. Needless to say Tyler isn’t in the best of places emotionally. His budding relationship with Ally slowly transforms his otherwise stagnant existence.
Ally is a bit of the opposite side of the same coin as Tyler. She has a good relationship with her father, but the tragedy they experience definitely leaves a bit of a shadow over their household. Her father is caring yet over protective and that leads to confrontation, which then leads to a chasm in their otherwise loving relationship. She seeks comfort from Tyler and the two of them end up helping each other cope.
Regarding the cast, I was really interested in seeing if Robert Pattinson could A) hold his own against the rest of the cast and B)play a role that wasn’t Cedric Diggory or Edward Cullen. Pattinson definitely has the ability to play characters that are brooding and conflicted. While this role may not have been a real stretch, he played it convincingly. I like that Pattinson is trying to branch out and not be typecast, but the role of Tyler still has that internal strife that is reminiscent of previous roles. He does have a bit of a James Dean quality, which isn’t a bad thing. I’ll be interested to see what other roles he chooses and if those roles will a 180 degree difference from those he is most known for.
As far as the rest of the cast is concered, they all fit their roles respectively. The real standout here is Ruby Jerins. She conveyed her internal pain and akwardness with realism and precision. She already has quite the resume, and will only continue to grow.
As for the film itself, it may not be an award winner, but overall it was decent. I was entertained for the most part. A film can be gauged by how many times you check your watch and I didn’t check mine at all. The dialogue was a bit stilted at times, but it wasn’t bad per se. Watching Pierce Brosnan play a pompous jerk was interesting, but hearing him speak with a New York accent was a bit painful at times. My real complaint with the film overall lies with the way they chose to end it. You may have heard about this surprise ending already, but if you haven’t I won’t give it away. I felt it was gratuitous and a bit of a slap in the face. It wasn’t necessary and the film really could have gone with a different direction. I feel that this type of ending was chosen for the reaction value instead of what would have benefited the film the most. I doubt my reaction was the one they film makers were going for, but I know I’m not alone in my opinion.
Should you see this film? That depends. Of course the fans of Twilight will go see it simply for the fact that Pattinson is in it. I can think of worse ways to spend 2 hours, but I can also think of better ways too. If a friend were to ask me if they should go see it, I’d tell them if they were curious, then go for it. But if they were apprehensive, it may not be the best choice. Overall, Remember Me was entertaining, but the final act casts a shadow on what otherwise could have been a good film.
