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Ever since he landed the role of teen vampire heartthrob Edward in Twilight, Robert Pattinson has built a die-hard following of screaming teens (and their even louder and creepier moms). Now, after a couple of Twilight movies, he’s ready to break away from his brooding blood-sucker persona and return to more human roles. But, unfortunately, his gloomy new romance, Remember Me, is every bit as moody and lifeless as the Twilight vampires.
Pattinson stars as Tyler Hawkins, a rebellious rich kid who doesn’t seem to care about much of anything. He audits college courses with no desire for a degree, he works at a bookstore with no real need for a paycheck, and he lives in a dumpy apartment with his obnoxious best friend, Aidan (Tate Ellington)—much to the chagrin of his cold, distant father (Pierce Brosnan). The only things he’s truly passionate about is his love for his siblings—11-year-old aspiring artist Caroline (Ruby Jerins) and older brother Michael, who’s been dead for several years.
After a run-in with an aggressive cop, Aidan dares Tyler to introduce himself to the man’s daughter, Ally (Emilie de Ravin). Ally experienced her own tragedy 10 years ago, when she witnessed her mother’s murder. But, unlike Tyler, she doesn’t brood about it. Instead, she chooses to savor every moment (and begin every meal with dessert).
As Tyler begins to fall in love with sweet, spirited Ally, though, he has to keep a secret that could drive her away.
If Rob Pattinson really wanted to break away from Twilight, he should have gone for a role in a cute romantic comedy—or maybe a sci-fi thriller. Instead, he chose to exhibit his serious acting chops by starring as an angst-ridden young man in a brooding romance. Granted, Pattinson’s performance in Remember Me could be called “moody” (or maybe even “mopey”) instead of “brooding” (which is actually a slight improvement)—but that’s just semantics. In the end, the result is the same: overdone melodrama that’s almost unbearable to watch.
But, then again, poor Pattinson isn’t the only one to blame here. It seems that he was given little or no direction—and, without a solid grasp on his character, he simply reverted to the character he knows best: Edward Cullen. The same is true for the other characters, too. None of the actors seem to understand their characters—and their performances feel so awkward and unnatural that it’s nearly impossible to connect to them. De Ravin’s Ally is too carefree and well-adjusted for a girl who witnessed her mother’s murder. And although Pierce Brosnan may look like a serious New York businessman, he acts (and sounds) more like a mob boss.
Despite its overabundance of long, meaningful glances and tortured silences, Remember Me is bland and emotionally distant. The story feels as forced and artificial as Pattinson’s carefully-styled bed head—and it plods through the same old love story formula until it comes to a shamefully contrived conclusion. It’s a dry and dismal romantic cliché that’s soon to be forgotten.
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