Remember Me

Dear Robert Pattinson fans: Allen Coulter’s “Remember Me” will probably disappoint you. The film is kind of a love story, yes, and Robert Pattinson is as delicious as ever. However, this film is mostly just brooding and grim, threaded with tension but marred by pretension. Ultimately, the poignant scenes scattered throughout cannot salvage the film’s disjointed nature and inconsistent pacing.

In “Remember Me,” two separate, ultimately intertwining familial threads dominate the story. Fast-forward ten years from the jarring opening sequence of her mother’s murder and Ally Craig (Emilie de Ravin) is a student at NYU, alongside the quintessential antihero, Tyler Hawkins played by Pattinson himself. He rebels against an aloof father (Pierce Brosnan) by living wholly without purpose, all the while fiercely protective of his sister Caroline (Ruby Jerins), which may or may not be due to their older brother’s suicide. One night, Tyler and his roommate Aidan (Tate Ellington) implicate themselves in a street fight, and a cop (Chris Cooper) throws the roommates into jail. After Tyler’s father bails them out, Aidan hatches a plan for Tyler to vindictively seduce then dump the cop’s daughter, Ally, who shares a class with Tyler. Predictably, Ally and Tyler fall in love, though the film thrusts a twist in its denouement.

“Remember Me” drips with melodrama. There is simply too much of the “poor rich boy” sentiment that reeks of a poorly executed homage to Salinger. At one point in the film, Aidan even accuses Tyler of being “nihilistic,” which is surprisingly accurate. The film’s “carpe diem” message is lost in its saturation of emotional fits and Tyler’s fixation on his brother’s suicide. Even the central theme is not entirely supported as the film’s resolution is ambiguous; Tyler is ultimately punished for his reconciliation with his father. This lack of clarity in a film that seemingly pushes so hard for it is frustrating and unfulfilling.

To be sure, there are unforgettable moments of poignancy in the film that punctuate its bathos. The opening sequence of Ally’s mother’s murder is particularly disturbing and salient; the camera directly looks into the barrel of the murderer’s gun, thereby allowing the spectator to vicariously anticipate the fatal shot. It is terrifying and horrific, ergo a clever and memorable way for Coulter to begin the film. Another heartbreaking shot is the pan across Lauren’s half-severed hair at a birthday party, the consequence of a pernicious schoolgirl prank. This trauma pierces through the narrative’s overall angst because of the sincerity of Lauren’s anguish. Both of these moments are acutely upsetting, though perhaps the most memorable and tear-jerking scene is the film’s last.

Pattinson plays a character not too different from the “Twilight” series’ Edward Cullen and shares the same trademarks—the bilious stare and the tossing of unkempt brunette locks. Though the vehement temper tantrums that Tyler throws might be out of character for Edward, the two share a dark, cool demeanor. Tyler is not immensely charming or sympathetic, and Pattinson’s acting is ultimately neither commendable nor totally deplorable. “Twilight” fans, though, will probably squeal with delight (or tremble with envy?) at Pattinson’s kissing and wet shirt scenes.

As for the other actors, Ravin is fresh and surprising. Her character is enchanting yet broken, and she manages to fully flesh out a believable performance. As an Irishman, Brosnan, however, fails to convince as a New Yorker, and his pseudo-New York accent is almost laughable. None of the performances—other than Ravine’s—are particularly outstanding, and it is disappointing to see such a lukewarm result from such a star-studded cast.

In the end, “Remember Me” doesn’t need its title to implore you to remember it; there are enough moments in the film that do it justice. Nevertheless, this is a film that is eventful but never gripping, emotional but rarely compelling. Though the Twi-hards will definitely catch it in theaters, for the rest the film-going audience, the twist at the end may or may not just be worth a matinee ticket.