Sunday, March 14, 2010

Remember Me - Round Three, 2.0

WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD!!

Rob - baby! - don't be mad! We luuuuuurv youuuuuuu!!!

We were not meant to see Remember Me more than once. But we did. I swear it was like the powers that be were conspiring against us: we faced hurricane-strength wind, torrential rain, downed trees, leaky theaters, unintelligible audio, aghast significant others, and personally I took a coooold shower because my furnace shut off sometime yesterday and I didn't have time to wait for things to heat up before we headed to the theater for the THIRD time (after being thwarted entirely yesterday). But we did it. We even sat through the trailer for that god-awful Miley Cyrus movie THREE TIMES. Ugh. You know we love you guys, right???

Before I address the gazillion-ton pink elephant in the room, let me say a few things: I am a bit of a cynic. And I am not prone to crying or getting super-emotional. I get impatient with people who are flighty or unpredictable. Plus I don't usually watch sad movies. There is so much fucked up shit going on in the world that I prefer to see movies that are funny or romantic or action-packed, and not the ones that remind me of all the fucked up shit going on in the world. I can say the same thing for my taste in books: I like my escapism to be light. Plus, whether I'm reading a book or watching a movie, I don't think ahead or try to figure out what's going to happen. When I read mystery novels (er, or "back when I used to read mystery novels and other things that were not Twilight"), I am not the type of person who wants to figure out "whodunnit" before the author reveals it. Same thing with movies - I just go with it and don't think ahead (I have no idea what any of this says about me as a person but I suspect it's not flattering).

Needless to say, the inclusion of September 11th at the end of this movie left me really flabbergasted. And left JJ and Myg flabbergasted, too (you can read Myg's take on the movie here).

I'm (apparently) not observant enough to have noted the pre-Sept. 11th set-up (although it does explain the oddly dated-looking dress that Ally was wearing when they went out to dinner AND why they were watching "American Pie" in the theater - which seemed SO random - so there's that). I hadn't pondered why the movie was called "Remember Me". I didn't question the timing, and I didn't know about the ending. I knew something happened - and assumed that someone was going to kick it - but nothing specific. Even though Raptor sent me a tweet earlier this week that said something like "WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH THAT FUCKING ENDING?!?!" So when I saw it, my jaw definitely hit the floor. I think I muttered "NOW I know why everyone was so pissed off" as the shot pulled back enough to see where he was standing. JJ walked out.

If I can take a step back for a moment, I want to say that I thought it was a decent movie. It wasn't a great movie. Robert Pattinson did a great job with his character and the script he had, but it wasn't the best-written movie of all time, and while I loved watching him onscreen for a couple of hours, he's not a phenomenal actor. He's good. Better than a lot. This movie really did let him show his acting chops more than Twilight, and I didn't think "Edward" once, which is really saying something. Chris Cooper was great, and the girl who played Caroline was awesome.

My problem is with the appropriation - or misappropriation - of September 11th , of their taking all of the emotions from that day to give the movie more of an emotional wallop than it would have otherwise packed. Even if there was no happy ending to be had, using 9/11 instead of having the character die in some other tragic way was a cop-out (assuming they needed to kill off Tyler, which I don't get). They excused themselves from having to show a brutal murder, a random fatal accident, a sudden and lethal physical malfunction. Because none of that feels like it belonged in this movie, and I don't think September 11th did, either. It was unnecessary. I think that the filmmakers intentions were sincere, but they used the wrong means to get their message across.

I was also pissed about the use of a real (and well-known) incident from 9/11 in the movie: Tyler's dad would have been in the office, workaholic that he was, but he was ostensibly turning over a new leaf and taking Caroline to school. This sounded very similar to the fact that the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald--a company formerly headquartered on the upper floors of one of the towers and which lost over 650 employees that day--was not in his office that morning because he was taking his child to the first day of school.

Overall, this movie kind of consumed our weekend. Honestly, my anticipation for the release of Remember Me centered around getting some RPatts eye-candy that would hold me over until June. It never occurred to me that this movie would spark such a furor or leave me feeling this wound up. Even now, my original intention was to write something a little more light-hearted than this ended up being, but I guess I was sidetracked by the 9/11 tie-in - I couldn't really get past it.

There was a lot more to this movie than the last ten minutes. I'd like to get to that another day. I scribbled pages and pages of notes - funny notes! - as I watched it the second time around (I was writing in a tiny notebook in huge print, but still - pages and pages!). We know that a lot of you will not agree with our take on this movie; it would have been a lot easier to write something less likely to piss a bunch of people off. But we love you guys and wanted to be honest.

Have at it in the comments - let the flaying begin!

85 comments:

  1. ohhh..we could talk about how that lucky beotch got to run her fingers through his hair while they were up against the wall gettin' it on, OR we could talk about how when he was walking w/ Caroline and his pants were SO dang baggy..my friend says, 'he needs to pull up those pants', and I said, 'no, he needs to pull them down!'. We could talk about the back porn, we could talk about how hawt he looked in the hoody when he was on the roof w/ Aiden and his guitar, we could talk about how much it would suck to have him for a brother like 11yo Caroline did (WTF, she looked 8 to me)b/c then our impure thoughts would just make us creepy....we COULD talk about those things!

    ReplyDelete
  2. JJ & STY - Mad props to you gals for toughing it out to see this movie more than once, and fighting all that crazy weather. You're so dedicated to your craft. You love us, you really love us!

    Mr.Coffee asked me what I thought of the movie when I got home and I honestly did not know what to say. But here, you've put it into words for me:

    "My problem is with the appropriation - or misappropriation - of September 11th, of their taking all of the emotions from that day to give the movie more of an emotional wallop than it would have otherwise packed."

    It just didn't fit. It felt like someone taped it on the end of the movie as an afterthought or alternative ending. And yes, I also question the necessity of it.

    A few of my own thoughts: The story was slow and bland until the night of Caroline's art show. I loved the scene when Tyler crashed Daddy dearest's meeting. Rob showed some real acting there, imho. I think that was the turning point for both characters. I also loved the scene when Tyler, as another blogger said, "stalked Ally from across the room." It reminded me of the slow, sexual suspense in the way Edward moves.

    As a fellow "moley" person, I find a certain kinship with Rob now. Don't hate on the moles! I'll probably buy the DVD when it comes out purely for the smut factor in the love scenes and so I can add it to my stash of Rob-candy. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I totally understand your reaction - hell, 9/11 happened in your backyard, right? And yet, I think the ending was brilliant - tasteful - and horrible all at the same time. There was an underlying theme of tragedy throughout the movie. Ali witnessing her mother's murder (and I found her character to be disturbingly well adjusted), Tyler and his family losing a child (as a mother, I cannot imagine anything worse). And then here you go audience, here's some tragedy we can all relate to.
    I loved the movie. I cannot lie. I love that this movie is stirring up so much emotion. It's hard, so hard. No, it's not a great movie. But it was good. And it made us feel. And that's important.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I just want to focus on Rob's acting, which was more acting than what he did in Harry Potter and Twilight. Yes, he's not exactly Sean Penn material yet but he's got tons and tons of potential. I honestly think he did a real good job portraying his role in this movie. It wasn't trying hard nor over-acting. It was just realistic; believable. For that alone, we should commend him. He delivered what was asked of him in the script. Every actor who wants to be taken seriously has to start somewhere. I am truly proud of him - for his acting, for choosing this film as his first venture out of Twilight, and for his courage to do something different, which may not necessarily earn him a ton of money but instead will position him as an actor who could one day be lined up together with the likes of Leo diCaprio, Sean Penn, etc.

    ReplyDelete
  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you for honesty and being pissed. I am pissed at the way they "used" 9/11 to make this mediocre movie relevant. and they used non-Americans to try to accomplish this in the film. What was Rob thinking? Seriously? I lost 2 friends in 9/11 on the 92nd floor. Summit marketed this as some romance and here it was plagued with tragedy - suicide, and American tragedy of epic proportions. shame on you summit. Sorry but it was offensive to me.

    ReplyDelete
  7. "Even if there was no happy ending to be had, using 9/11 instead of having the character die in some other tragic way was a cop-out (assuming they needed to kill off Tyler, which I don't get)."

    THANK YOU. Honestly, I was beginning to think I was the lone voice crying in the wilderness on this one. I don't get WHY he had to die at all. We already had Ally's mother die senselessly. We had Tyler's brother commit suicide. AND we had Ally yammering on about eating dessert before the main course because of possibly dying before getting to eat it or whatever. I would argue that the point was already made. Live in the moment. I GET IT ALREADY. I don't need the point hammered in until my head is bruised and bloody by killing the main character! And having it be in 9/11....well, that just made it all the worse for me.

    I really, really liked the film up till that point, and I thought Rob did some great work in it. He made me proud. But if he hadn't been in it, there's no freaking way I would have gone to see a movie like this. Life is fucking hard enough. I don't need to get even more depressed when I'm trying to escape reality.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I think you and JJ did a really fair job on this, I want to go on record saying. Less irate than my 2 and a half cents, for sure, and I think that's a good thing.

    As I commented on JJ's post, the fact that so many people loved it and were moved by the ending in a positive way has softened me on it, and I wish I could have gone with you guys today to see it today.

    That said, I do stand by my belief that if you're going to go to 9/11 in your movie, then really go there and do it justice. 9/11 wasn't anybody's denouement, it was an event that defined people's lives for years.

    I know, I know, "This movie wasn't supposed to be about 9/11..."

    The real 9/11 story, and the story of those who died and survived it is so much more compelling than Remember Me, that for many of us even hinting at it makes Remember Me a very shallow wade into the reality of tragedy and loss.

    All that said, I think you and JJ gave a really fair and diplomatic review here, and I am sincerely glad so many people had a better time with this than I did.

    And let's not forget, ladies, that scene where RPattz is slamming Emwhazzername up against the wall just before nailage. omgomgomgomg....omg. I would go see Remember Me 20 more times just to watch that 15 seconds of footage.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I think your review was fair, and I appreciate your opinion. If I were to see it a second time (I don't think i will), I would leave after he tells her he's going to his dad's office. I totally agree that the world is fucked up enough and when I read a book or watch a movie, I want it to be an escape. An escape to something that the world is not.

    Hopefully after the shock/disbelief/anger/what have you has worn off, we can further discuss hallways and spaghetti and french.

    ReplyDelete
  10. It was very upsetting that they used 9/11 as the emotional ending, all the stored away memories of that day came back. But what was more upsetting/disturbing then that was the kids/teenagers that were in the theatre with us did not even know what the date represented when it was shown on the chalkboard.

    ReplyDelete
  11. @ HypoVag - OMG! You are too funny! Sheesh, I hope I'm not next on the list for a visit from the DUA. *peeks out front window*

    @Pam Rodgers - I'm with you, sister! Count me in on the French spaghetti hallway discussion.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I carefully avoided spoilers, and refrained from reading reviews all week before seeing the movie, and still, I don't know who it was that sneaked it into my brain that "the movie is set in NYC in 2001, look at the title, and there's a twist, DON'T read anything about it", and so I knew what to expect, and that most likely our beloved Rob would be a 9/11 victim.
    At first, I was pissed that I knew, but now, I think it allowed me to be less pissed at the movie the way you seem to be. It desensitized me: I didn't cry at all. If I hadn't known before seeing it, I think it's the kind of movie that would have totally fucked up my week end.
    In the end, I don't think 9/11 was wrongly used, and I don't think it makes it a movie about 9/11.
    The whole story is about how we'd better live to the fullest every instant, because nobody knows what can happen, and it's not important to anybody but you. It's what Ally says when she orders her desert first. At the same time, once you touch somebody's life, the fingerprint remains for ever, and that's what happened with Tyler. He was a victim of the most absurd, the most senseless, the most unexpected death that could fall upon him (something so utterly senseless that having an asteroid fall on your head seemed likely in comparison), and he still hadn't made any decisions about his life, but even though he's not there anymore, he's changed the life of those around him forever, and not by doing big things, but just by living in the moment.I don't know if I'm making much sense, I guess what I mean is that's life: things and people collide, small shit happens, and sometimes you get caught in big BIG shit that wasn't even aimed at you for no reason, and we're nothing, but still, the people we meet alter us permanently, as insignificant as they may be in the bigger picture. I hate serious movies. I hate movies where people die. Why did I go see that again? Oh, right, Mr. Hot.
    So I would have liked the movie better without this end,because I have a problem with death in general (I still hate JK Rowling for killing off Remus, Sirius, Hedwig and one of the twins), and knowing this end was coming distracted me from gorgeous Rob (but not entirely, and I found him much more handsome than in the twilight movies, who knew he was so muscular? and I totally would have loved to take care of him and make him forget all the crap around him...)

    ReplyDelete
  13. One thing I have been wondering is about the screenwriter....what is his/her story? Are there any interviews? It doesn't change the movie, but it would mean something to me if I knew why he decided to end it with 9/11. Hey--invite him to a webchat, why don't you.

    My main beef with the script was that certain situations were not believable, like the family finally coming together over a bullying incident that to me was not life changing. What else could have drawn them together? And I think I needed to see more buildup of senseless anger to really see Tyler as messed up.

    I had read a review that mentioned 9/11 so I knew it was coming the whole time. It does change the way you watch the movie.

    The ending message--love freely--was the most compelling part of the story for me. I start to cry thinking about it, and thinking about where I was that day. I don't think it was done cheaply.

    It was other parts of the script that really bugged me.

    ReplyDelete
  14. @Hypoallergenic Vagina - you can pry mini-edward and my cullen crest from my cold, dead, sparkly fingers. and i'll be a vampire then - natch - so be careful 'cause i might be hungry and you know how little self-control us newborns have - lol!

    @Jerseygrl4lfe - i don't think that the fact that two of the main characters are played my non-U.S. citizens is relevant here, although i agree with you that summit marketed this movie as a more light-hearted romance than it turned out to be...i certainly wasn't expecting all the drama and darkness in this movie. but then again scummit tried to bill twilight as a vampire action flick to people when it was coming out, so we should be wary of their ways at this point - lol!

    @Pam Rodgers - yes yes YES i will discuss all of that - there is little that i like more than some passionate against-the-wall action, and it will not go without comment - lol!

    @myg - you know it!! wall slamming - bring it on!! not sure why that sorta thing makes my toes curl (and other things - squeak!) but yummmmmmmmm! that's the part i'll be replaying in my head!

    ReplyDelete
  15. & @TooMuchCoffee - thanks! and i won't hate on the moles - no worries! i like that they didn't go all perfect and have all that removed.

    btw read your profile [was looking because i LOVE your avi, not trying to be stalk-y] - wow. my hat's off to you - sounds like you do good things in life! : )

    ReplyDelete
  16. @Munkee - totally agree. it sucked, the whole hair-chopping-off thing. and i felt it - sixth grade was a terrible year in my life - i was far from popular and was picked on a lot; kids at that age can be vicious. that said, it seemed like the reaction from the family far exceeded the incident itself; it was one of those moments where i wonder if anyone who writes scripts or screenplays has any connection with the real world because it seemed to off to me. well noted!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I saw it Friday night. Thanks to fucking Matt Lauer, I knew that 9/11 was tied into it somehow but I thought maybe it was how the brother died.

    Anyway, at the end, when I saw the date on the blackboard and then Tyler standing in the window, it clicked......and every emotion I felt that day came rushing back. Not just movie-sadness at knowing Tyler was about to die but I remembered watching it on CNN. I remembered going to New York 3 weeks later and seeing The Pile and the pieces of the WTC leaning over in the street. I remember seeing the posters all over the city with people's names and faces and their last known whereabouts on the 101st floor of one of the towers.

    I cannot imagine how this ending impacted JJ, MYG and STY and other New Yorkers (or NY neighbours).

    Now...the movie. I liked it! I thought Rob was amazing in it. The dynamic between him and Pierce Brosnan was excellent - the angst and tension very realistic.

    "Caroline" was a little doll. One of my favourite parts of the movie was when Tyler confronted the little bitch who sliced off his sister's hair and then made snide comments about it in front of the class.

    I was a bully victim in school. Bullying of ANY kind just pushes all the wrong buttons with me and to see Tyler stand up for his sister just made my heart sore...and ache a bit. I wish my brother had done the same for me but I guess that's the difference between real life and movies.

    I'm definitely going to see this again.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Oh...and on the lusting side.....

    That little cluster of freckles under Rob's left shoulder blade?

    I want to lick it....

    ReplyDelete
  19. i don't think summit marketed this film as a light hearted romance.

    in fact, here is the official summit imdb synop: In the romantic drama Remember Me, Robert Pattinson plays Tyler, a rebellious young man in New York City who has a strained relationship with his father (Pierce Brosnan) ever since tragedy separated their family. Tyler didn't think anyone could possibly understand what he was going through until the day he met Ally (Emilie de Ravin) through an unusual twist of fate. Love was the last thing on his mind, but as her spirit unexpectedly heals and inspires him, he begins to fall for her. Through their love, he begins to find happiness and meaning in his life. Soon, hidden secrets are revealed, tragedy lingers in the air, as the circumstances that brought them together threaten to tear them apart. Set in the summer of 2001, Remember Me is an unforgettable story about the power of love, the strength of family, and the importance of living passionately and treasuring every day of one's life.

    it is billed as a romantic drama. and it has lots of words like tragedy and threaten. it even gives a time frame in 2001.

    and how many times did i hear tyler quote ghandi for pete's sake? GHANDI, people.

    i have no doubt the idea for this story started at 9/11 and worked its way back thru the characters & used the minutia of their lives to tell the tale, ending up at what was ultimately the beginning of the script. it was a romance so we would connect w/the characters & care about them in the 100 minutes it had to grab us.

    ReplyDelete
  20. @AnotherJenny - we WILL talk about that! for sure...

    ReplyDelete
  21. @neverthink - i totally didn't expect this to be a romantic comedy, but based on the trailer alone (which is all i was privy to pre-movie), i thought it was going to be a little more romance and a little less drama. i knew there would be family angst & all but not that it would be the main theme of the movie.

    ReplyDelete
  22. @Twicat
    You're right! It was fucking Matt Lauer! Bastard.

    ReplyDelete
  23. @ShotgunCharlie - I am not sure how i would have felt if i had know about the specifics of the ending prior to seeing it for the first time. I guess i wouldn't have felt so blindsided, and maybe i would have felt less on the defensive about the whole thing. i don't know... and i get the "shit happens" part - lol... you never know. asteroids, sinkholes, runaway buses - any moment might be your last. i think they could have found a way to convey that sentiment without bringing 9/11 into the mix. it was like being beaten over the head with that sentiment instead of being more subtle, you know??

    ReplyDelete
  24. Don't know how I haven't mentioned this yet, but Pierce Brosnan's "accent" grated on my nerves the entire time! I thought he sounded like someone with congestion and constipation.

    ReplyDelete
  25. @JJ and STY - Bravo for honesty!!!

    This is why I puffy heart you both!

    Please don't ever change or pander to an audience you earned due to your candor in the first place.

    @STY - I, too, stay completely away from entertainment that is too heavy or romantic. Hell - I don't even watch the news because it's too depressing. I have romance in my life already (and not the cheesey forced crapy in movies), and have felt plenty of heartache. So crying at the movies is OUT!

    Books and movies are all about escapism for me. I want to laugh, be riveted by action, or swept away by magic.

    I never intended to see Remember Me in the theater, if ever. It's just not my style. So I'm glad I'm not missing out on anything I would regret not seeing.

    Thanks again, JJ & STY! LOVES! XOXOXO

    ReplyDelete
  26. BTW, I just took the time to change my google account so my whole name doesn't show up when I post. :) And added a pic.

    ReplyDelete
  27. @STY. i saw only the one trailer too. and i did not see any of the press tour stuff where they talked about the movie. i deliberately wanted to be unbiased when i went in for my potential gutting. and yet i knew it would be gutted, and still i went.

    i guess i took a lot away from the one trailer - it's tyler quoting ghandi (iconic human symbol for suffering and why-can't-we-all-get along). and maybe it was just tyler's vo in first person in the trailer. and him blowing out the "22" candles at the end. it's tyler who wants to be remembered. remember me - tyler. i knew somebody was gonna die, and i was pretty sure it was tyward.

    but i've had my fair share of tragedy and dimemberment for reals in my life, so i bought my ticket like so many others thinking: oh do pray tell, what you got behind your back that's gonna make me take notice of yet another love-storyesque-oh-somebody's-gonna-die movie? *rolls eyes*

    i was just in it for The Pretty.

    and while i still can't believe they went THERE, they did. no take backsies on THAT one.

    so they went there and i was dragged there, and i'm still processing it all over the weekend.

    it just is what it is. it's done. and i'm glad to know my heart still aches for those gone.

    i did not know those who died then, and i still don't know them now, but i can say with love in my heart and tears in my eyes i still feel the empty space that once was. i remember.

    ReplyDelete
  28. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Yes, the douchebag Matt Lauer ruined the film for me. I wrote about it in my latest blogpost.

    http://allergictorobertpattinson.blogspot.com/

    I am seriously considering filing a law suit against him. Or at least demanding $10 to reimburse me the cost of the film. But no money can make up for the loss of the ending - I wanted to be surprised damnit!

    ReplyDelete
  30. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Obviously, STY, I agree with you and JJ (and Myg and Jude and Jerseygrl4life and TooMuch Coffee, etc). I wrote a full review on my blog (www.musingbella.blogspot.com), but it wasn't as level-headed and diplomatic as yours and JJ's, so hats off to both of you. And sparkly peens aplenty.

    I've been reading all the comments, and I think I'm starting to understand the other views of this movie and I'm not as absolutely offended and put off as I once was. I intend to watch this again on DVD and see if I feel differently knowing what's coming. Something that has especially resonated with me is the point of those who liked the ending that the way 9/11 was used is the same as how it actually happened, in that no one knew it going in. I'm not totally sold on that position, but it's interesting.

    Now, quick poll: who woke up on Friday having any idea we would all be so invested in a serious discussion of this movie that it would last throughout the weekend?? I thought we'd all be discussing the various ways in which we'd like to bone RPattz, myself. (On the AinW statue, anyone?)

    ReplyDelete
  32. @Hypo-Vagina...are you serious??? What a bunch of fucking assclowns!!!

    I'm glad that I didn't read or hear any others.

    ReplyDelete
  33. @STY I had no idea what this movie was about. I went in completely blind.

    Let me start by saying, it was better than I anticipated and Aidan was a bright spot in the whole movie.

    So now let me skip to the ending.... I felt as if I was watching what appeared to be a cute movie. A good movie. Better than I expected. Than I was hit by a brick on the side of the head, when the teacher began to script the date....

    In that one instant, I gasped and the tears began to flow. It was no longer about Rob’s character as it now became about my sorrow over those that had lost their lives that day. I can remember exactly where I was, and what time of the day. I remember who I spoke to, and I even remember what happened the next day, as truly this nation was in a state of shock and in state of severe grief.

    Did I think it was a cheap shot? No, in that moment, till the very last scene, I was there, captivated, and the movie had my heart. I did not think it was distasteful, but I did leave the movie feeling disturbed and I suffered all day Friday for it. I could not get rid of the sick feeling that had overcome me, and I felt the need to talk to some about it. So my friend and I had sent each other several emails regarding the movie and it’s ending and it help recover from that funk.

    Listening to your and JJ’s thoughts; I completely and wholeheartedly respect you and adore you both, and I’m so happy that you were willing to give the movie more than one shot and at the very least, listen and accept all other points of view.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Seeing Martha Plimpton in scene one was the most shocking and offensive part of the movie for me.

    (we don't get along)

    ReplyDelete
  35. I havn't been to see it yet but obviously from commenting here, I'm now aware of the plot and I was under the distinct impression that this was supposed to be some sort of angst filled love story. It seems to me that they have gone through and ticked off the most tragic events that can happen to any family (death of child, suicide, murder, bullying, shitty realtionship with father etc etc) then added the untimate tragedy that happened to our "world family" (Sept 11) and chucked it all in one movie. Could they have made it any more heartbreaking?
    I was hoping to have a nice couple of hours of Rob perve with an ok movie with a "twist at the end" not something that would plunge me into a catatonic depression. I'm with you @Snarky, I like to be entertained not upset.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Oh yeah, I'm with you @ShotgunCharlie (love your name!) I still havn't forgiven JK Rowling I cried for days over that!

    ReplyDelete
  37. @mmMoxie. LMFAO. seriously. that some funny shit girl!

    veriword: dercops

    i would luvs to be one of dercops that gets to handcuff tyward. ungh.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Woa--I have been out of town all weekend and away from the internets...shit always happens when I am gone. I pretty much want to put a 'Ditto' next to @HonoluluGirl's comment (love you sweetie!). I quite enjoyed the movie and liked it more than I anticipated. Personally, I think any movie that stirs up such emotions this strongly--whether positive or negative--carries some value. I was just explaining this to my older daughter the other day after we went to an ArtWalk....you don't have to like it but it is pretty amazing if you react to it whether in like or dislike.

    Did I think this was a perfect movie? NO. Did I think it was good? Yes. I did not think the 9-11 ending was a cheap shot...personally I thought it was representing that there were a million different storylines going on with the thousands of people that lost their life that day....and that ALL the people that lost their life that day were/are significant and important and people loved and cared for them deeply. That's what I took away from it.

    I think it would have been more powerful a "message" had they elaborated a little more on the surviving characters continuing on and embracing life...I liked that they did that though...showed Emilie's character getting on the subway, etc.

    I feel the issue of 9-11 in the movie is provoking argument because it is still so raw. But is a cheap shot to talk about someone having been in Vietnam, Iraq, the Gulf War, etc? It is a major albeit horrific event that touched us all (some of us way more than others as both JJ and STY and many commenters have pointed out). I bawled my eyes out all day on 9-11 holding my best friend's hand. I, like @HonoluluGirl remember every detail of that day.

    I liked it...I did. I might not be so invested if it weren't for my rather unhealthy and slightly disturbing infatuation with Rob BUT needless to say it still playing through my mind (and I have only seen it once I swear). I don't think it is going to win and Academy Awards but I enjoyed it.

    Oh and my feelings of heartache from this movie I think seriously over-shadowed any wow-factor I was expecting from the Eclipse trailer. I am not growing up again am I? Clearly I need to go back to escapism and my more immature self...this serious stuff just kills my fantasy buzz.

    @STY and @JJ--Regardless our boy can act--we can agree on that. <3

    @Myg--Wall slam and steamy sittin-up sex scene close-ups with heavy breathing for the win. Yep I will buy this movie just for that alone if nothing else. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  39. @STY, that's why i'm kinda glad some asshole spoiled the movie for me, I know if I'd gone to see it without knowing, I would have hated it, and the world, and been depressed, and felt like my own boyfriend died (really Rob, you didn't know?), and I agree that it could have been a more "subtle" death...

    @Pam R. I was really irked by Pierce Brosnan's accent too! I absolutely hated him in the movie, half part because we were meant to,and half part because of the fake tan. (WTF?)
    But I have to say that he redeemed himself for me in these few seconds when he gets out of the car and his facial expression changes as he understands. His acting blew me away!

    @StackedLikeSookie:
    are you kidding me? Your name is the best! I giggled just reading it!
    I cried for 3 days after finishing the harry potter books, and it was starting to get embarrassing since I had a job at the time, and so, to help me get over it, I bought Twilight, thinking it was going to be so dumb that my brain and my emotions would be able to go back to sleep (if I tell you how long I've been single you're gonna freak out, so it was all really profoundly asleep). And that's how it all started. Now I don't cry anymore, I just dream about boning different fictional characters and the actors who play them, all younger than me (OK, Billy and Michael, I'd do you too), I neglect my child, I "twat" on twitter like Kstew, I buy shirts with wolves on them, I'll take a 12 hr bus ride to NYC for the runaways premiere, I plan on going to certain midnight release party for certain dvd pedalling on my bike, and all I can talk or think about is freaking twilight related.
    Thank you so much, Stephenie, for helping me cure my Harry Potter withdrawal syndrome!

    ReplyDelete
  40. OK, right now, I'm thinking, I'm sleepy and I'd like my weekend back and my fucking guts (touche HypoVag, so true).

    Is any freckled/moley/imperfect 23-year old worth this?

    Fine, fucking yes, but fuckmuffin if it aint a high price to pay for mental porn-fodder.

    I come down on the side of appreciative it was made, pleased he was cute as hell to look at, thankful to be reminded that there is no such thing as full escape, and resigned that I will see it again.

    But I don't have to be happy about it.

    Really, "brine" is my wv? Like "my first fucking escapist pop-culture bonanza is steeped in the yin-yang brine of love and loss?" Is that an obtuse use of my challenge word?

    ReplyDelete
  41. I appreciate your honesty. I remember an interviewer or reviewer mentioning that 9/11/01 in some context of the film and I decided then and there I wasn't seeing it. I joke that Matt Damon was cuter and that was why - it's just funnier to state that vs. I don't need an emotional reminder of that day or how the day (and events afterwards) impacted my life hence forth. People always need you to explain why and I won't nor do I need/want to. It just does.

    I've told a few in a rant or another site and via skype that Twitter idiots were jumping on folks, myself included for refusing to see the film. How dare we not see and support a film RPattz is in - simple, I don't have to nor need to. He isn't my son, brother, or lovah. If it was Mike Welch or Justin Chon there wouldn't been on Remember Me Saturday. Regardless I'm getting off point. Thanks for your honest review and I'm glad to read others feel that it wasn't necessary for the corporation (my word) to use the events on 9/11/01 to make an impact.

    ReplyDelete
  42. @ShotgunCharlie-PMSL are you sure you're not my twin sister seperated at birth? I only read Twilight coz "that gorgeous guy who played Cedric Diggory was going to be in this movie called Twilight". The rest they say is history and ditto "dream about boning fictional characters etc"! I'm also obsessed with True Blood & would like to fuck Alexander Skarsgard in every position imaginable! AND I don't have the excuse of being single coz I've been married since ugg the caveman was alive.

    Could someone from the states please tell me why actors in American produced movies have to speak in an American accent? Do they think the public is too stupid to understand an English accent? Or an Australian one for that matter? Imagine Rob (& Pierce) with their natural speaking voices not to mention how much my chest would swell with pride at an Australian accent. You briefly hear Xavier Samuels in the Eclipse teaser & I nearly wet my pants! Bet he won't sound like that in the movie.

    ReplyDelete
  43. I think 9/11 fit in perfectly with the theme of the movie: Living in the moment, not in the past. Tyler finally learned that lesson at the end. I wasn't offended at all. Of course, I knew how it ended and Rob was on so many talk shows trying to make sure everyone knew this wasn't a romantic comedy -- that's why he was exex producer, because he wanted it marketed correctly. :Shrugs: Not the best movie I've ever seen, but certainly moving. And RPattz did a good job!

    ReplyDelete
  44. STY, I could not agree with you more. I heard the spoilers and was considering not going, but I really wanted to see Rob not play Edward. My hubby agreed to go with me because he figured "RPutz" (his nickname for Rob) "bit it" and he could make fun of me when I went all fan girl and started crying.

    So I was prepared not to cry and honestly, if they had not used 9/11, I don't think I would have. But after they played the tense music for like 10 minutes leading up to the scene, I was all worked up and crying like a baby. I was crying before he even made it up to the office. I just lost it and my hubby knew something was up. He knew I knew the ending, but he couldn't figure out why I was such a wreck.

    When they cut to the window my hubby just sat there slack-jawed. I actually calmed down a bit be/c at that point I was just glad they didn't show any more like planes and people trying to escape...etc. It was more implied, but I have a vivid imagination (yes, the leg hitch scene is way better in my mind)
    and the implied was enough to bum me complety out.

    All in all, we both thought it was a decent movie (OK, not great), my hubby actually agreed and thought Rob did a decent job acting...he much prefered it to Twilight, but I think all guys will.

    I would have liked it more if they left out 9/11...I may have actually gone to see it again to get me through until Eclipse, but I don't think I can handle that.

    STY, I am on your side...I like my entertainment light...there is too much crap in RL and I don't like it to taint my fantasy world of sparkly vampires and hot barely legal warewolves. I read books and see movies to get away from it all for a while.

    ReplyDelete
  45. @STY and JJ - I agree 100%. Rob's a good actor - and needs to marinate his acting chops a bit more. I love his personality, his sweetness, and his drop dead hot sexy looks... which are the reasons I keep rootin' for him. And for cryin' out loud - he needs a good script!! This one was B.A.D. The movie (script, plot, etc... no good).

    I love and respect your honesty (and potty mouth humor) and that's whay I keep on coming back to Twitarded. Even if I didn't agree (which I do), I love how you give us your sweet low down, and not what we want to hear.

    Good job.

    I look forward to the funny review!!

    ReplyDelete
  46. I agree, I thought the use of 9/11 was contrived and unnecessary. Perhaps the writers wanted to emphasize that you must seize the moment - but that had already been established in this movie and did not need the emotional wallop of 9/11 to get that across to the audience. I am a lot like you, STY, where my entertainment is escapism and NOT depressing shit. This was the first movie I've seen that referenced 9/11 in such a way, and being totally unprepared for it was extra upsetting. I can't really get past the ending - and it's reassuring to see I'm not the only one. And once we can, I look forward to reading your thoughts on the rest of the movie!

    ReplyDelete
  47. You bring up some great points.
    I am of the opposite opinion though.
    Too much to say in a comments section.

    You can read my 2 cents on my blog.
    http://tinyurl.com/ybsvrxh

    Is the sign of a good movie the fact that we are discussing it so much and not just focusing on the hawtness of that guy (what's his name again?) who starred in it?

    And not just Twi/Rob fans are debating. That is good to know.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Having not seen it yet, I have no comments about the movie.

    However, I too am like you when it comes to my movie and literature selections. My own life is just fucked up enough that I have no desire to explore somebody else's trauma. I want to laugh, be excited, dream and as you so aptly put, escape during my leisure time. So if that says something "unflattering" about us, than oh well, I guess I'm screwed too!

    ReplyDelete
  49. Honestly, I could not even force myself to see it a second time. So, props for going 3 times.
    The anticipation leading up to this movie, followed by the phenomenal let down still has me a bit shaken. Every ounce of me wanted to walk out of the theater. The friends I went with liked the movie. I did not want to be the buzzkill bitch. I kept my thoroughly disappointed mouth shut. I share the perspective that real life is hard. When I read or see a film, I am looking to momentarily escape reality. Having four small kids, it was over for me at the first scene. When the lightbulb in my head went off regarding the significance of the year (which was fairly early on) it took every ounce of mental strength I had to keep my butt in the seat.
    I am however, glad to have this forum to hear all points of view and possibly gain a new perspective.

    ReplyDelete
  50. I saw it for the first time yesterday and the ending hit me very hard. But, I think it went to reinforce the message that was there all through the movie...life is fragile and comes with no guarantees. Don't waste a moment.

    ReplyDelete
  51. I loved the movie, but than again I am a sap. That being said the 9/11 tie in has honestly fucked me up. It brought up a lot of emotions that I thought I sufficiently buried. I was unfer the impression for 4 hours that day that my parents were very possibly on one of the planes. It wasnt until my around lunch time that we got confirmation they werent on a plane, so needless to say I ugly face cried! And was mad, I think though, it was time to start exploring this day in our nations psyche. We have movies about EVERY other fucked up thing, and I think the title says it all. WE HAVE TO remember them. There is a wgole crop of 10 year olds that have no connection to something that STILL jars us to our cores, so as a non 9/11 sappy movie, I LOVED IT, and as a statement on our psyche thanks a fucking lot, it may be time, but I'm not sure I was ready.

    ReplyDelete
  52. Aw, you two are troopers for going to see it so many times when you didn't really enjoy it the first time!

    I saw it Sat. and am still mulling over in my head what I really thought of it. And I also want to see it again to get a better perspective, I think...I have been thinking so much about it all weekend after seeing it once, maybe I don't want to go through it again, LOL.

    Overall most of me loved it. Unfortunately I knew about the 9/11 ending and so sat in dread the whole movie watching and waiting for "how close" it was getting to September with every scene. My friend didn't know much about the movie and sniffled off an on throughout the whole thing, and was doubly shocked at the end. Despite the cues I think they were subtle enough that if you weren't paying close attention you wouldn't be adding them up in your head. I feel robbed now that I was spoiled and didn't get to have that "OMG" reaction because very few movies can do that to you. The closest I got to crying was when he was leaving the apt. that morning and I almost broke down, knowing what was coming.

    Anyway, I think the acting was great. Yes Rob did a wonderful job--halfway through I was invested in watching Tyler, not Rob acting as Tyler and that says a lot I think.
    The little girl was adorable and great in her scenes, as was everyone else.

    The 9/11 usage didn't bother me, although I am not a New Yorker and was grateful not to know anyone who was there that day, so I may have less sensitivity. A lot of people are/were affected by 9/11 but it is a moment of history, no different than say wars that have been made into movies. I didn't initially feel though that it was used to say "Live your life," I just felt tragedy for all of the characters and was a little disappointed we didn't get to see more of their reactions to his death––just the montage. Then again, we all lived through it and know the devastation those felt who lost family and friends that day, I suppose we don't need to relive it through the characters.

    The only real criticism I have with the movie, is that they maybe tried to pack too much into it. There was already too much tragedy, too many storylines converging. It WAS a roller coaster of emotion throughout and just when everything finally seemed to be getting better for everyone, their worlds were (literally) blown apart again.

    Musing Bella I think your comment summed it up perfectly--the thought that who knew we'd be thinking about and discussing this movie all weekend. Whether you liked it or disliked it, it was dramatic and thought-provoking and caused us to FEEL. When I heard Rob was doing this movie I was surprised he was just doing what seemed to be a plain old romantic movie. Now I can see why he picked it and am so glad it was not what it seemed. Not a lot of movies do that to us anymore.

    ReplyDelete
  53. I'm grateful for the honesty from all of you. You're real and I like that.

    My personal reaction was not that this movie exploited 9/11. I totally agree with JJ - "Remember Me was simply not strong enough to stand above it's own final moments." The characters were not strong or compelling (besides Tyler's hotness), and the ending simply wasn't on the same scale as the rest of the movie. That said, I don't think that the writers thought, "Man, we've written a dull movie about boring, energy-sucking people so far. Let's pick the most controversial, sure-to-get-an-emotional-reaction ending we can and duct tape it on there." They probably thought that the whole movie flowed on that emotional level. If the entire movie had been that impactful and the characters that intense, we might have felt differently about the ending.

    I do think that it's appropriate to tell the stories of people who died that day. We should NEVER forget. To highlight the humanity of that day in a tasteful way and to get people thinking about the actual lives lost - the people behind the numbers - is not a bad thing. Did it totally eclipse the rest of the movie? Yes. Was it a cheap shot? I don't believe so. Does it have me remembering 9/11? Yes. And I think that's a good thing.

    My final thought - there was nothing in the previews, etc. that hinted at this being a 9/11 movie. I read all these blogs and didn't know it until I read a spoiler the day of the release - which makes me feel that they did not try to use that as a draw to get butts in seats. Had they used that as advertising for the movie, I might feel differently.

    ReplyDelete
  54. I don't disagree with your opinion at all. I actually hate love stories and usually refuse to see "tearjerkers". I wouldn't have even considered seeing Remember me if Robert Pattinson wasn't in it. I felt like I'd seen that movie before. Rebel dates girl on a dare, falls in love with her instead. She finds out, he wins her back and dies at the end. Isn't it really just Cruel Intentions? I did think that RPatts did a great job and I look forward to seeing him in better roles. Aiden had some great one-liners and the little sister really stole the show. Ally did nothing for me. I just wasn't feeling it. There was no connection between them. I already knew what was coming at the end, and they did handle it better than I expected. However, I really didn't see the point in doing it in the first place except for the shock value. It wasn't the worst movie I've ever seen (that honor goes to Bowfinger) but I think our boy can do better. And I'm sure he will.

    ReplyDelete
  55. STY I completely understand your position, but it still doesn't change my love for the movie. A couple of girls at the office saw the movie over the weekend as well and the first question I asked was if the use of 9/11 at the end bothered them. After they got over the shock that I wasn't just going on and on about Tyward (I wasn't to that part yet!) they said that they didn't really have a problem with the ending...Besides that fact that Tyler died, of course.

    Does that make us any less sensitive or show that we don't really care about 9/11? I don't think so. But then again, we didn't have it happening in our backyards. We saw the footage on TV, and maybe had the feeling that it could have been happening anywhere in the world, not necessarily the US. Maybe it was easier for us to heal since we weren't there to see the terror first-hand. I don't think it was too soon to use 9/11 in a movie. Well, let me refrain that. I don't think it was too early to tastefully use 9/11 in a movie like Remember Me did.

    In any event, I am shocked and kind of thrilled that this movie caused the reaction that it did. Whether you loved it or hated it, here we are 3 days later still going on and on about it, and about deeper things as well. That's another reason I think it's a great movie. It made people FEEL something. Yes, the emotions it brought up may not be the happiest, and we may not ever want to feel these emotions again...But if you're not feeling, you're not living.

    Gah! Just live in the moments, ok?!? That's all I'm saying ;)

    ReplyDelete
  56. @Crissy-Yes, Cruel Intentions all over again. But I just felt so much more w/ Remember Me than I did CI. Probably because of Robert. And 9/11. But still, I agree. Cruel Intentions all the way.

    ReplyDelete
  57. MK, like I said, I wouldn't have even considered seeing this movie if it's wasn't for RPattz. That man has a hold on me. I'm sitting at my desk at work right now with a Rpattz calendar, Edward shirtless screensaver and a mini-Edward doll watching me type.
    Don't forget my well-worn copy of Eclipse to read during breaks. Yes, I'm reading them for the 4th time . . . since December. I don't know how the hell this happened. I'm actually going to stand in line at Walmart (the 7th circle of Hades) next weekend to get my copy of New Moon the second it goes on sale. Did I mention I'm 34? Yeah, There is something about RPattz/Edward that causes grown women turn to MUSH.

    I did love him in the movie. I just really think he's capable of so much more. He's still new to the whole thing though. I think he's going to keep branching out and trying different things. It will be exciting to see how far he goes.

    ReplyDelete
  58. I really do understand why some people did not like the ending. They could have had him die via a car accident or something like that, but, no, they had to use 9/11, of all things. I actually totally understand that reaction and I don’t necessarily disagree. However, I still enjoyed the movie. I think that the whole point of the movie was just to say, “Hey, you never know when you could be taken from this world, so make every day ‘worth it’ and don’t let it slip by.” They may have “used” 9/11, but I also think sometimes it takes a big event like a 9/11 to really send your point home. I don’t know. Either way, I also think they did a very good job incorporating 9/11 because it wasn’t the stereotypical scenes of people running from the Twin Towers, ashes falling from the sky (although they did show ashes) or the towers coming down. The fact that they did it in such a classy way makes me think they weren’t just trying to take advantage of 9/11. I think 9/11 is something we all, as Americans, can relate to, in one way or another. We ALL put ourselves in the victims’ shoes and we ALL reevaluated our lives in the days following. Unfortunately, many of us have forgotten those feelings. And, isn’t that the point of the movie?

    ReplyDelete
  59. Just to put in my 2 cents about escapism and not wanting to see movies which remind us too much of the fucked-up shit real life can sometimes be... I can totally relate to that, as a few years ago I used to avoid all tearjerkers and sad movies or violent movies. I was a complete escapist in my choice of books and movies... but, but.. it's been changing slowly over the years. I started to realized I would miss so many things if I just stuck to the escapist, happy-go-lucky, fluffy, safe stuff. Art can be about tragic things, down-to-earth things, real-life shitty things and still be beautiful and uplifting and teach you a lot and make you grow. In fact, I think I have grown much more as a person since I have accepted to see/read things which are not escapist at all. And I used to be the kind of girl who refused to watch Titanic for many years because Leo died in the end - or Million Dollar Baby because she dies that way in the end - or even Love Story... or Aliens because I would be afraid... or Apocalypse Now because it would be a blood bath... and so on, and so on...so I've come a long way. I'm really glad this has changed, because, even if I still enjoy some sweet fluff, I can now go and see everything - even the harshest, darkest movies, and walk out richer with the experience, even if it punches my gut. So, yes, I'm definitely for movies like RM, even if I get depressed after it, even if it makes me cry (it did but I LOVED RM all teh same, all of it), because all of this is part of life. It's like being a painter and not wanting to use certain strong hues or black on your palette - you can, but something really vital would be missing in your painting in the end. I admit it can be a long process, but it's really worth it. I promise : it's like seeing the world opening wider, as if you could suddenly see it from many more perspectives. But it takes time, it's true.

    ReplyDelete
  60. What the movie didn't manage to do, this Newsweek review of Remember Me did: I cried just reading it, it express exactly what I feel and think of the movie. http://www.newsweek.com/id/234827.

    @StackedLikeSookie: I'd love to chat with you, my twin sister! You can contact me through my blog if you want...

    ReplyDelete
  61. @ShotgunCharlie...whoa, thanks for the link. Other than "aimed at teenage girls"....yes, I was getting teary, I thought it expressed my feelings overall, too.

    ReplyDelete
  62. Kim - Exactly! I loved your response you worded it so eloquently. I feel the same way when I hear about those who "can't/won't" read any angsty or sad FF. Yes we all need escapism and sometimes we need some fluff but the heartbreak is part of real life too-more real than just happiness all the time. And sad or dark or angsty stories give us so much more to think about and learn from. As many have said, look at how we're all still digesting and talking about this movie three days later.

    ShotgunCharlie--thanks for the Newsweek link, that was a wonderfully written article!

    ReplyDelete
  63. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  64. I'm coming out of lurkdom to say how awesome everyone here is. Everyone's opinion, while varying, is respected. There are so many Twilight/Rob sites where if people say anything that's less than 100% positive about him or his movies, they are flamed for it. It's refreshing when people can be honest and not be considered less of a fan for it. It restores my faith in (at least a small part of) the fandom.

    ReplyDelete
  65. @CherBella : It's unbelievable how this movie keeps us viewers talking and exchanging and wondering, isn't it? No one seems to be indifferent to RM, whether they loved it or hated it. I think it touches on some very deep, universal things, the very things which make our lives worth living : love, the fragility of life, our inner wounds, the cruelty and absurdity which can take it all away in a second... in the end, it's a powerful reminder to love without restraint, I think.
    @ShotgunCharlie Thanks for the link to the Newsweek review! It's so good, absolutely worth a read.

    ReplyDelete
  66. i haven't seen it yet but i have read the script while it was shot and those were my feelings exactly. i can't bare to be reminded or viewing sadness needless to say Rob dying no matter what is the plot or the purpose or the lesson we should learn from his death. i want to see that side of Rob i think we all adore. his clip with jimmy fallon was a hit! why can't he do a romantic comedy i know he wants to elevate the conditions of humanity as an actor should and he doesn't want to saturate the market and be selective but he should also pay attention to what would appeal to his fans now that we are not ready to enjoy disappointment. he should also look hard when choosing a female lead non is successful so far.

    ReplyDelete
  67. @debbi - great observation! and noting something i can tend to take for granted sometimes but shouldn't... i am ridiculously proud of the little corner of the fandom that we have all carved out here and how we all get to say what's on our mind (good, bad or indifferent - lol) without having to worry about people freaking out, flaming, name-calling, etc. - this was my first real foray into blogging, but i know enough to be aware that it's not like this on many other twi-blogs and sites. i am so thankful for all of the amazing people who comment here!

    : )

    ReplyDelete
  68. Hi Everyone. Just wanted to say I really enjoy reading everyone's thoughts on rm, and on twitarded in general.This is my first time posting.
    I saw RM Friday night & really haven't recovered. I loved the movie but felt blind sided by that ending. Our entire theatre was crying. I drove home in tears, & spent the better part of the next day in bed. I wish I would have known b/c I would have left the theatre just before & have been totally fine.
    Rob's performance, along with the rest of the cast, was great. And I liked Emilie de Ravin more than I thought I would.
    So I'm going to give it a few days, but I'm going to see the movie again. I'm just going to leave right before the : (

    ReplyDelete
  69. I read that the screen writer was reading obituaries from 9/11 and that's where he got the idea for the story. So, there's that.

    I didn't cry at the end of the movie, felt a little too... shocked. Although I came very close to crying during the first scene of the movie. However, when I go to see RM again I'm sure I will be sad and teary the whole time looking at Rob, er Tyler. I think the story will resignate with me all the more the second time around.

    ReplyDelete
  70. Bahhahaha I think I may have been one of the first in twidardia to see it so I hope my tweet didn't spoil anything for anyone else who saw it!

    I am seeing it again tonight, because I keep telling my friend how unbelievable the end is, so she is makin me come along. I still like it, but I'm thinking as devastating as it was, the ending won't hit as close to home here in Aus as it does for you guys :(

    ReplyDelete
  71. Reading everyone's perspective, I am having a surprising shift in my overall attitude toward the movie. I can appreciate more where the screen writter was coming from. Remembering the sheer terror of seeing those planes hit while holding my six month old on my hip and knowing my husband was on a plane is not easily relived. But it happened. It came out of nowhere and the entire nation was (is) affected.

    I do feel the need to comment on the hair cutting. I do not believe that the family "over reacted" It was a BIG DEAL! Caroline was assulted. She would have sooner gotten over being punched in the face. Bruises and bones heal. Cutting her hair off altered her appearance in a way that takes years to recover. (I doubt that anyone would ever emotionally recover from something like that.) It is JUST the sort of horrible thing a family should come together over. It was absolutely believable. Imagine if that happened to your daughter or sister. You would be just as outragged. Even enough to throw a fire extinguisher through a glass window and scare the shit out of a classroom full of mean girls.

    ReplyDelete
  72. I love you all.

    Now let's get over this and all read some really lemony fanfic and daydream about The Precious bending us over. C'mon ladies, get with the program.

    Love you huge!

    veriword: sucidact. Go figure.

    ReplyDelete
  73. Raptor's right, the ending probably won't have the same impact outside the US. The closest I came to the whole thing was that one of the pilots was a close friend of one of my dad's Stateside friends. But it still had a hell of an impact here because of all the emigration. There are lots of Irish people who have at least one relative living in Australia or the States, especially in New York and Boston. Even so, the movie still won't cause the furore it caused in the States. Also I don't know when it's coming out here. The giant poster in the cinema just says 'coming soon'. Lazy bastards.

    And I never cry because of books or movies (except the Green Mile...*sniffle*) but I cried buckets reading the last three Harry Potters. Why all the carnage, Rowling? Why?!

    ReplyDelete
  74. Well, well, well...

    All I have to say is - the movie wasn't great, but we all still want to bed RPattz, am I right or am I friggin right!!

    :D

    I know, JJ and STY, I've missed you too! xx

    ReplyDelete
  75. The director said RM is about "the bolt from the blue". So many things in life are unexpected, tragically unexpected such as Michael's suicide, Ally's mom's murder, and obviously September 11th. And how do we react to the unexpected, how do we deal with it?
    Life and death, the different ways people leave this world. Most of us do not get a choice.

    Other unexpected things-
    Caroline getting her hair chopped off, falling in love with the girl your using for revenge, getting your face smashed in by a cop, getting bitch slapped by your dad, the dad not showing up for the art show, trying to quit smoking to elongate your life...

    I'm done now. Let me know when you're ready for me to bend over Precious.

    ReplyDelete
  76. No time the last few days to enjoy the view here in the land of "as obsessed with Twilight as me"...totally hadn't expected the lack of spoiler alert...SO GLAD. Live in Oklahoma City, heart broke for NYC -- do NOT need a downer movie that I was just gonna watch to see RPat. I will wait til the 20th for New Moon over and over again and use that get me to June 30. THANK YOU FOR THE WARNING - yuck. and shame on them - what happened at WTC should not be a plot device. + I like my entertainment to end happy....like Robert and I do in all my fantacies.

    ReplyDelete
  77. im glad we live in a world where we can each have our own opinions....this is mine, i LOVED the movie, i also did not know ANYTHING of the ending,so when it happened i was shocked, it made the meaning of the movie tottaly come together for me.

    @yarnslinger..i agree with you 100%

    @Munkee,i disagree with you about the bullying incident not being life changing, when i was 10 i went to a "makeover party" i had hair down to my waist, and it was in a ponytail, well after the makeovers i put it back in the ponytail to sleep (cuts down on tangles)needless to say when i woke up the next day my hair was gone, i was DEVASTATED, i didnt go to school for a month, i refused to wash my hair or go get it fixed,finally i got it cut into a bob, but it was life changing, to this day(30yrs later) i refuse to grow my hair past my shoulders because of my fears from that night!!! i bawled like a baby when i saw that part.

    JJ,STY, you guys are awsome,i love your post and love your honesty.

    ReplyDelete
  78. I just saw the movie and I have to say I’m on board with most of what you’ve said.

    Using 9-11… the jury is still out for me. I’m still emoting. I’ve heard a lot of people call this a “seize-the-day” movie. I can see it as that. Love people. Spend time with them. Mourn. Live. Because you never know what will happen tomorrow. I like how the movie is about people who are struggling to move on from tragedies and live their lives, yet still remember those they have lost. And at the end of the movie, the characters are doing that still, except this time the person they have lost is someone that we’re also invested in. And every single person that 9-11 took away was someone like Tyler, who was loved. It’s sad to be reminded of that, but good to remember it.

    (VitaminR said it better…”thought it was representing that there were a million different storylines going on with the thousands of people that lost their life that day....and that ALL the people that lost their life that day were/are significant and important and people loved and cared for them deeply.”)

    Now that I’ve seen it, I understand why it got such mixed reviews. I’m sure it caused strong emotions in the critics too. And Rob was and Executive Producer… he actually took a bit of a risk there. (See, the boy does have balls, tee hee).

    While I thought the overall plot was okay, there were some scenes that I thought didn’t work. The one where they meet, the shower… just thought they played off a bit awkwardly.

    So, the acting. RPattz was good. Not great, but good. I find myself distracted by the fact that he’s a British guy playing an American. In Twilight too. When he’s yelling at his dad he starts to sound like a gangster (ditto when he said goodbye to Bella in the garage). He can’t shoot a basketball. What American guy can’t shoot a basketball? And what was with the contortions his fingers were doing while he was cutting his meat at the restaurant?!!!

    Regardless, I’m sure I’ll buy the DVD so I can watch the yummy sex scenes a hundred or so times. And I have high hopes that RPattz will mature as an actor.

    Oh, and Matt Lauer ruined it for me too. Fucking douche.

    ReplyDelete
  79. Got this link from ThinkingofRob...

    http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/reacting-to-remember-me-an-interview-with-screenwriter-will-fetters

    ReplyDelete
  80. I saw this movie yesterday and I was aware that it ended with 9/11. What caught me off guard was the fact that they killed Tyler off. I mean, it was 2 hours of despair and sadness only to be capped off with a tragedy of such mammoth proportions. I bawled for the last 10 minutes since I knew it was coming and then went home and cried some more. I wasn't crying over the movie, per se, more re-living the images on TV 9 years ago and all of those lives lost. It Killed me to see Tyler in the window, looking out towards the sky, knowing that they are implying that he would see the planes coming. It was just unnecessary - plain and simple. There was no redeeming qualities to this movie now. It had hints of hope, but then was just dashed to pieces at the end. I understand they want to convey that "life goes on" but really, its too painful.

    ReplyDelete
  81. Well, just watched Remember Me tonight in Melbourne, Australia... went after work on my own at the risk of being a social retard (hubby not interested and from the bad reviews I didn't want to subject any of my friends). So anyway, it turns out I was the ONLY one in the cinema! Only 10 days after it opened! It's also disappeared from the rotten tomatoes ratings. Oi vei - poor Remember Me may not be remembered all that much, it looks like.
    As to the ending... well, I knew it was coming but it was still heart-renching. I've gotta say though that for me it kind of brought 9/11 home a lot more. I was watching late night tele over here and saw the media coverage straight away, minutes after it happened. I think I was in shock. I just remember the chaos and madness and carnage and then it all seemed to get whooshed up in a big media circus, and after that a part of me shut down to it and put it in a ‘something that happened over there box’ , otherwise named ‘Only in America’ (over here sometimes America seems crazy with a capital Special-K – even though we love you too ). So for me the movie humanised it a lot more for me - depicting normal people living their complicated lives - like so many who died so suddenly. I didn’t take it as cheap, though it did seem a bit weird and devastating and sudden. But then, 9/11 WAS sudden and people were left floundering, not knowing how to cope or react.
    Rob was gorgeous, and I am so relieved he can act (whew!). Now I can sit back and enjoy watching him get better and better. I’m sure he will ripen in so many juicy ways as he gets older and more experienced.
    BTW, also saw Johnny Depp in Sweeney Todd the other night – god, he is so riveting and engaging and compelling – is it wrong to want to race him off even when he’s playing totally psycho, fucked up characters?

    ReplyDelete
  82. p.s. - no I'm not a slut for lots of actors.. just johnny and rob.. rob and johnny... johnny and rob ... ahhh! yum fucking scrum.

    ReplyDelete
  83. just had to come back to this thread to post this...kinda like an epilogue.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKUce3Nvwk0&feature=player_embedded#

    ReplyDelete
  84. I saw it Friday night. Thanks to fucking Matt Lauer, I knew that 9/11 was tied into it somehow but I thought maybe it was how the brother died.

    Anyway, at the end, when I saw the date on the blackboard and then Tyler standing in the window, it clicked......and every emotion I felt that day came rushing back. Not just movie-sadness at knowing Tyler was about to die but I remembered watching it on CNN. I remembered going to New York 3 weeks later and seeing The Pile and the pieces of the WTC leaning over in the street. I remember seeing the posters all over the city with people's names and faces and their last known whereabouts on the 101st floor of one of the towers.

    I cannot imagine how this ending impacted JJ, MYG and STY and other New Yorkers (or NY neighbours).

    Now...the movie. I liked it! I thought Rob was amazing in it. The dynamic between him and Pierce Brosnan was excellent - the angst and tension very realistic.

    "Caroline" was a little doll. One of my favourite parts of the movie was when Tyler confronted the little bitch who sliced off his sister's hair and then made snide comments about it in front of the class.

    I was a bully victim in school. Bullying of ANY kind just pushes all the wrong buttons with me and to see Tyler stand up for his sister just made my heart sore...and ache a bit. I wish my brother had done the same for me but I guess that's the difference between real life and movies.

    I'm definitely going to see this again.

    ReplyDelete

Comments are our life now. Leave one!