This is definitely a memorable film, but for all the wrong reasons. Remember Me has some pretty serious flaws, but most problematic is its outrageously inappropriate use of 9/11. Whilst the filmmakers probably thought this would be poignant and evocative, it is really distasteful. Although this is the film’s biggest mistake, you can’t overlook the awful dialogue, terrible scripting and pedestrian acting in this Robert Pattinson vehicle.
Pattinson plays the central character, Tyler Hawkins, as well as acting as Executive Producer. Channelling the tortured soul persona, Tyler is a troubled rich kid, with an out-of-touch father (Pierce Brosnan) and a useless mother (Lena Olin). The only people he cares about are his best friend/flatmate (Tate Ellington) and his younger sister (Ruby Jerins). When Tyler gets into a fist-fight and ends up in jail, it turns out the man who arrested him (Chris Cooper), has a daughter in his global politics class. Egged on by his BFF, he asks out Ally (Emilie de Ravin) to get back at her father, BUT shock-horror the pair fall hopelessly in love.
This film is without direction, confused as to what or who to focus on and which story to tell. The relationship between Tyler and Ally is strangely detached as Pattinson seems oddly unable to meet de Ravin’s eyes. His comic relief BFF is dispatched as soon as everything turns serious and unfortunately takes the only bit of joy with him. Chris Cooper and Pierce Brosnan are shipwrecked in this film, with each actor taking on one emotion for the whole movie. Cooper got anguish, and Brosnan got arrogance, and evidently they weren’t allowed to share.
Twilight fans are probably very keen to see Pattinson in a love-scene, but unfortunately it is not only his skin that isn’t sparkling in this film, his performance is cold and unengaging. Remember Me claims to explore themes of love and loss through tragic events; but director Allen Coulter’s assertion that his film is a love-letter to New York is very mistaken. His careless use of New York’s greatest tragedy, 9/11, is more like an anthrax-ridden parcel.
1/5
An abridged version of this review was published in The Brag 08/03/10
