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5 things ‘Twilight’ got right
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photo from realmovienews.com
Well, my friends, the time has come. I have paid very close attention to all your constructive feedback, tallied the polls, and made my final decisions about the five things in “Twilight” someone may have actually gotten right. In order to accommodate as many of the suggestions as possible, this list is sort of a tall order, so bear with me. Here goes nothing:
1. The casting- I may have whined about Kristin Stewart in the previous Twi-post, but the bottom line is there were some great casting decisions made. Ashley Greene as Alice is spot on, and though her role was surprisingly small in the first flick, I am looking forward to every ounce of yellow Porsche fun in the next one. In fact, I think most of the Cullens are great. I love Kellen Lutz and Jackson Rathbone, and look forward to seeing more of them. And I think Peter Faccinelli as Carlisle works well. The only Cullen not so great is Nikki Reid, because she just doesn’t sing Rosalie to me. And, of course, I love Robert Pattinson with a fiery passion. Now, there was some serious over acting from both he and Stewart in the first film, but I like to think that was all a lack of direction, because the raw talent is definitely there. I mean, the chemistry in that bedroom kiss scene is hot, hot, hot. And, I can’t wait to see more of those moments. Also, Billy Burke as Charlie steals just about every scene he is in, as does Gil Birmingham as Billy Black. Those cats are perfect.
2. Art direction- While some of the cinematography was a little overindulgent (the spin cycle in the meadow for example), I had an overall appreciation for the scouting done as to where to shoot things. I think the use they made of the beautiful natural scenery in Washington was quite lovely, and there were some very pretty shots. That pan shot from up in the trees, while a little silly because Edward would never risk taking Bella that high, was stunning. I also do love the aesthetic of the Cullen’s clothing, and I think that is worthy to note as well.
3. The music- I have had a lot to say about the music from Twilight in the past, and for a full run down of the soundtrack, go here. But, It has to make this list, because, let’s face it, it was pretty awesome. I love the Robert Pattinson songs, and their placement in both the dinner scene, and the ballet studio. I think all the music lends very heavily to the ambiance of the film. Bella’s Lullaby is also quite lovely. And, I love that they paid special attention to the musical interests of Stephanie Meyer herself. Not only was having Muse’s “Supermassive Black Hole” perfection for the baseball scene, but it acknowledged the incredible impact Meyer claims their music had on her writing. Kudos!
4. Symbolism and ‘inside jokes’ for fans- I love when filmmakers choose to add little Easter eggs for the devoted fans, and there were some classic ‘aha’ moments in this film. The most obvious is perhaps when Bella knocks the apple of the table and Edward catches it in his palms, representing the forbidden fruit motif of the cover of Twilight. But, also present is the red and white chess pieces from the cover of ‘Breaking Dawn’ behind Bella and Edward, when they stand in the Cullen’s kitchen to meet the family. Since this was the other cover that had thematic significance for Meyer, that was a nice choice. And, finally I love the little inside jokes, and subtle points that the true fans will catch. I love the look on Edward’s face when he hears Jessica talking about no one in the school being good enough for him, for example. Also, when, at prom, Edward tells Bella, of Jacob, “I leave you alone for two minutes and the wolves descend” is priceless!
5. Mixed races- And finally, I like the choice of the filmmakers to include multi-racial characters in the movie, even with the lack of minorities (minus the Quileutes) in the books. It was very brave to diversify Bella’s circle of friends, notably with Tyler, Angela, and Eric, as well as making Laurent black (because Edi Gathegi is awesome). It took one of the things I noticeably had issues with in the books, and remedied it.
Well, that’s all I have. Thanks for all your tremendous suggestions, and please feel free to comment below!!!
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