Film Review with Robert Mann – Remember Me

8th April 2010

Remember Me ***½

It really doesn’t seem like that long ago that no one had heard of Robert Pattinson. The British actor got his first big break when he was cast as Cedric Diggory in the Harry Potter franchise but this wasn’t the role that really threw him into the spotlight. The role that really made him a star was that of Edward Cullen in the Twilight film series, the role that has turned him from being a relative unknown into the object of desire for teen and tween girls all over the world, who swoon whenever he appears in anything. His fanbase is almost rabid in their adoration for him but they are used to seeing him play a certain kind of role. This is what makes his latest film, Remember Me, quite a daring career choice. Pattinson himself warned his fans that they may well be disappointed by this film and this is most definitely the case, as his in this romantic drama (notice it is a drama, not a comedy) here is completely removed from anything he has done before.

Tyler Hawkins (Robert Pattinson) is a rebellious young man living a disaffected existence in New York City. Ever since their family was separated by a tragedy, Tyler has suffered a strained relationship with his influential father, Charles (Pierce Brosnan). Tyler also has a young sister, Caroline (Ruby Jerins), who lives with their mother Diane (Lena Olin), and he is outraged that their father can’t bear to spend time with her. One night Tyler intervenes in a street brawl but ends up getting arrested by tough cop Neil Craig (Chris Cooper), whose wife was murdered in a shooting ten years earlier. After spending a night in jail, Tyler learns from his roommate Aidan Hall (Tate Ellington) that Neil has a daughter, Ally (Emilie de Ravin), with whom he shares a class at college. Ally is beautiful, spirited and inspiring, and Tyler begins to fall for her. But with two strong and disapproving fathers to contend with, the circumstances that brought them together also threaten to tear them apart.

A warning for Twilight fans – whatever you are expecting from Remember Me, you should be informed that it is likely that you will be disappointed. You see, this is not a fantasy like Twilight but rather a story taking place completely in the real world. And this is clearly evidenced by the fact that the film opens with a tragedy, a character getting shot within the first minute and another prominent character, just a child, witnessing it. The romance presented in this film is entirely real world stuff. There is none of the fluff that is present in most romantic comedies and there is definitely no sugar coating of anything. The story does not shy away from real life tragedies, but rather embraces them. People die and tragedies occur. It does not avoid tackling the everyday problems that people face in their relationships but places them right at the heart of everything. The characters are all damaged, struggling with their own inner demons and Tyler’s family in particular is fractured with every single member experiencing the strains of their experiences on their relationships with one another. Then there are the metaphors and multiple levels of commentary and subtext, relating to all kind of issues, among them terrorism. This is a film that has much to say although for quite some time it seems like it is trying to say something but the message doesn’t seem to be coming across. For all the efforts at greatness, the story elements don’t entirely click together for the most part. The romance at the heart of the story is pretty average stuff offering little that really stands out, even if the story of two damaged characters finding kindred spirits in one another is undeniably moving, but there is a deeper meaning to the film beyond the romance. It almost seems like this meaning is not going to be revealed. But, then it happens, out of the blue – something so completely unexpected and shocking yet actually kind of hinted at in some of the subtexts running through the film and that makes so many things that have happened and been said up to this point suddenly come alive with meaning. I won’t give anything away but the last ten minutes or so translate what might otherwise have been a fairly forgettable and possibly meaningless film into something poignant and thought provoking. It is fair to say though that if you want to leave with a warm feeling inside this will be a film to avoid as tragedy has a strong presence and at points you probably will be drawn to tears. As for Robert Pattinson himself, even he is nothing like what his fans might expect here. He portrays a character who is emotionally scarred and he plays the rebellious, independent type very well. In fact, his performance here shows a whole new level of acting ability, with his performance being very powerful and quite intense. His character really is one who we can believe in and this is also true of the other actors as well. Emilie de Ravin plays an unorthodox love interest and shares a believable chemistry with Pattinson, one that reflects the realism of relationships as opposed to the fairy tale portrayal of romance that we are used to, while there are superbly intense performances from both Pierce Brosnan and Chris Cooper. These performances are key to the film working as without strong acting the entire thing would just fall apart. Fortunately, while the film undoubtedly has flaws and isn’t wholly successful in putting across its message or engaging the interest, it has more than enough going for it to ensure it is far from forgetful and may even be talked about in the years to come. Will you remember Remember Me? Quite possibly.

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Review by Robert Mann BA (Hons)

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