The audience demographic in Robert Pattinson’s latest movie “Remember Me” was apparent from the audible excitement present during the “Eclipse” preview that ran before the film.
“Twilight” fans came out in surprisingly small numbers to support Pattinson, as the movie earned only $8.3 million its opening weekend, compared to the $62 million earned by “Alice in Wonderland.”
Playing Tyler Hawkins, Pattinson was joined in this endeavor by the likes of a frightening Chris Cooper (as Sgt. Neil Craig), a sweet Emilie de Ravin (as Ally Craig), a woefully random Pierce Brosman (as Tyler’s father, Charles Hawkins), an adorable Ruby Jerins (as Tyler’s little sister, Caroline) and humorous Tate Ellington (as Tyler’s best friend, Aidan).
“Remember Me” tells the story of a tortured, suffering young man, who has a problem with authority and is mistreated by a police officer for standing up for himself. When Aidan discovers that the police officer has a daughter, he encourages Tyler to woo and then dump her as revenge on the police officer. How these two things are related is not entirely obvious. Tyler falls in love with Ally, the sergeant’s daughter, and they quickly become inseparable.
So where’s the conflict? Ally doesn’t know that her father gave Tyler a black eye, but the real problems are the family issues facing both Ally and Tyler. Tyler must cope with a distant father and his brother’s suicide while Ally must deal with an abusive, masochistic father. The main problem with the film is that these family issues overshadow what was made out to be the film’s big conflict: the fact that Tyler lies to Ally about his black eye.
Other problems with the film were lackluster chemistry between de Ravin and Pattinson (there was no heat between them) and a lack of warmth; it was not compelling enough to make the viewer care for the characters. When the time came for the two lovers to part, one felt nothing more than slight twinge of regret.
Furthermore, the acting leaves something to be desired. While Pattinson struggles to free himself of his vampire stereotype, he barely breaks the shackles. The other actors also falter in their portrayal of characters who don’t seem real enough, like Brosman’s larger than life New York businessman, or Cooper’s stereotypical violent policeman. De Ravin also had trouble creating a realistic performance; her character also seemed like a standard New York kid with good fashion sense. The only standout cast member was Jerins, who played her role with innocence and humor.
While perhaps pleasing on paper, “Remember Me” is a mediocre film which doesn’t have much to offer in the way of plot or acting. It fails have heart, and because of this, the movie will leave the viewer feeling like they have just witnessed something utterly forgettable.
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Subject: ‘Remember Me’ Easily Forgettable 
Thu Mar 18, 2010 11:30 am