No one can brood quite like Robert Pattinson. The heartthrob made a name for himself as he thoughtfully stared off into space in the Twilight saga, and now he brings that moody sensibility to the character of Tyler Hawkins, the central character of Remember Me. Although it likely is a vehicle to propel Pattinson out of vampire flicks, Allen Coulter's film does not have that necessary spark to make fans forget about Edward Cullen for a few hours and delve into a new story.
Tyler is an intellectual type who is not only haunted by the suicide of his brother but also struggling to cope with the dynamics of his family. Of course, he falls hopelessly, head-over-heels in love with Ally Craig (Emilie de Ravin of Lost fame), who suffers similar problems dealing with the murder of her mom and the complicated, strained relationship she has with her dad (Chris Cooper). Through their tender devotion, however, the two lovebirds right the wrongs of their past and build a beautiful future ... Or so it would seem. Weeks before Remember Me opened in theaters, blogs were a-flutter with details of the film's surprise ending - no, it's not what you think - which left fans outraged. That ending is part of the reason the film is mostly lackluster.
To be fair, the acting actually is pretty good. Pattinson's role is not ground-breaking by any means, but he does Tyler Hawkins justice: an imperfect, yet heartfelt kind of guy. De Ravin's performance as Ally does a good job complementing Tyler, the more grounded, stable force. The fathers really take center stage here, though. Playing a seemingly cold-hearted, withholding, high-powered businessman, Pierce Brosnan delivers a wonderfully dynamic character in Charles Hawkins, who grows and develops throughout the course of the narrative. Chris Cooper is equally as powerful in the role of Sgt. Neil Craig, who relentlessly tries to fix the world for his daughter but really ends up suffocating her in the process. Tate Ellington gives us some much-needed comic relief as Tyler's roommate, Aidan, whose one-liners and alcohol-induced, promiscuous behaviors rarely fail to amuse. Without him, Remember Me would come off as taking itself far too seriously.
But a good cast does not a movie make. A good story is also a critical ingredient for success, and it is in this area that Remember Me falls short. The film sputters along at a sometimes annoyingly slow speed, often making the audience wonder where it is going. Events happen ostensibly for no reason and are rarely explained or examined by the script. Then the twist occurs, and the viewer is supremely confused. Perhaps the ending was supposed to remind audiences that you can, in fact, affect the lives of others, but that message was completely muddled. Instead, the film comes across as a statement that we live mostly insignificant lives that will fade into obscurity as soon as we leave this earth. Making audiences pay $10 to find out there really was no point - not exactly the best marketing strategy.
Pattinson's perfectly mussed hair and penetrating gaze cannot save Remember Me. Despite the cast's best efforts to craft engaging characters, the script gives them relatively few chances to shine. Add the totally depressing ending, and it looks as if Pattinson will have to find another, more entertaining piece through which to bust out of the Cullen rut.
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