The big-screen adaptation of Twilight, Stephenie Meyer's
bestselling vampire romance, is aimed squarely at its key demographic:
teen girls whose idea of Prince Charming is a brooding, pale, undead
teen who could kill you instantly at any moment. Such a prince is more
fascinating than frightening to new girl Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart),
who moves to the rainy-gray town of Forks, Wash., to live with her dad
(Billy Burke), the local sheriff who's puzzled by a series of "animal
attacks." On her first day at school, Bella appears to (visibly)
nauseate her lab partner, Edward (Robert Pattinson). Turns out the scent
of her blood is this vampire's "brand of heroin," and his struggle not
to kill her causes an irresistible pull toward her. Whether he's
attracted for the normal reasons or because she smells especially sweet
to him is vague in the book and even less clear on-screen; nonetheless,
Bella falls hopelessly in love with Edward, which sets her on a
dangerous path when a few nomad vampires show up in town, one
particularly keen on tracking the human. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke
(Thirteen), Twilight is full of funny moments--not
all of which are intentional--and the casting, from Stewart to Bella's
self-absorbed friend Jessica (Anna Kendrick) is spot-on. The weakest
link, unfortunately, is Pattinson. While he certainly looks the part,
his Edward could have used an extra injection of testosterone
(Pattinson, who is British, used James Dean as a model for his American
accent). In scenes where he growls about the temptation to kill those
who would harm Bella, or flitting around a forest warning her how
dangerous he is, he comes off more like a whimpering puppy than a
debonair monster. The good news is, his chemistry with Stewart
(particularly in their big kissing scene) is palpable, which, let's face
it, is really what matters to Twilight fans most.
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