Twilight

Twilight (2008) starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Billy Burke, Edi Gathegi, Rachelle Lefevre, and Cam Gigandet.

Before...I think I was of the mind that it was the new black, the new Harry Potter. The trailer was simply stunning in my view. It showed passion, emotion and action all rolled into one. The one fear of mine was that it was going to be very teenagery and because of that would be ridiculous. Also the cast is full of unknowns, and that is a very risky strategy, at least with Potter it was full of classic British actors who are all brilliant. Yet with this they are all unknowns, and that amount of uncertainty means it could be doomed to failure. The reviews were mixed, some saying brilliant others saying awful, so I really was unsure about it. I hoped it would be good, ut I just didn't know.

Isabella Swan (Stewart) moves to gloomy Forks to live with her father (Burke). As she starts her junior year in high school she becomes fascinated by Edward Cullen (Pattison) who holds a dark secret which is only known by his family. Edward falls in love with Bella as well but knows the further they progress in their relationship the more he is putting Bella and those close to her at risk. Edward warns Bella that she should leave him but she refuses to listen and to understand why he is saying this. Bella learns his secret. He is a vampire, however she is not afraid of his blood-thirsty needs and the fact he could kill her at any moment. Bella is afraid of losing him, the love of her life. The thrill begins when a three new vampires, Laurent (Gathegi), Victoria (LeFevre) and James (Gigandet) finds it a challenge to hunt Bella down for her irresistible blood. The game is on and James will not stop until she is killed.

So faults...at times it pushes the line of cheesy smultzy love story. Pattison and Stewart at times completely ham up there roles but it is more the script that urges them to do so. Rosenberg's script at times feels as though it is stumbling through clichéd line after clichéd line. And yet it holds together amazingly. Despite its small faults in way of script, Twilight was slick and stylish.

The acting, as I said, at times is a little ropey, but somehow it seems to work. Pattison sometimes feels wooden but then I think he is playing the role of Cullen perfectly, slightly aloof and distant. Stewart's Swan is fearful and loving, she plays it brilliantly. The evil vampire, James, is played brilliantly. His fire and passion is terrifying. The emotional intensity of this film is played brilliantly by all involved. The soundtrack is another thing that kept me captivated by the film. An anthemic rock ballad driven soundtrack that delivers on nearly every song.

Even though it is a film about vampires, this film deeply rooted in romance. It is a compassionate and loving and it is set against the beautiful landscape of the Pacific Northwest. Later in the film it moves back to sunny Phoenix. It is filmed with a real intensity, not of fear, but more of passion and according to Hardwickes back catalogue this is something she is used to, see Thirteen. The passion and emotional intensity in Thirteen is mirrored in this film. It is thanks to Hardwicke that this film holds onto the integrity of it's convictions. Even though it is a vampire movie, this is one of the most impactful and well written love stories I have seen. The only real regret I have about this film is that I did not have the conviction to wait to read the book first.

Reading through this review, as much as I would like to give it 5 stars due to the clichéd script I cannot. It is an extremely stylish, beautifully shot film and from what I understand about the film it is also a very faithful adaptation which leads me to give it...

★★★★☆