Twilight

Last night I was lucky enough to get to attend an early screening of the much anticipated vampire love story Twilight. If you have lived under a rock for the last year, or are totally pop culture starved, Twilight is a young adult book written by Stephanie Meyer that has gained a huge cult following around the world in the last few years. The phenomenon is so big that kids are even having Twilight themed proms, and dressing up like the characters. Suffice to say that the movie has been garnering tons of attention, even claiming a record number of pre-opening ticket sales.

Being a big fan of the books (especially the first book, but I pretend that the last book wasn't written - that's topic for another post), to say I was excited for this screening would be a huge understatement.

I am going to avoid a long, drawn out description of the storyline, because I think I will get caught up in the details and not get to the review of the film, so here's the story in a nutshell:
Bella Swan, a mortal moves to Forks, Washington, a small town in the middle of nowhere. She meets Edward Cullen, a vampire and is instantly drawn in buy his broody good looks. Sparks fly between the two, but their new found love is put in peril when the dangers and complications of being a vampire and a mortal in love put their very lives in danger.

I know the Twilight die-hards are going to think that description really doesn't do justice to the book, but in my opinion, you should read it to really get the story. The film adaptation is done pretty well, but there are some very odd directorial choices, like a few of the camera moves that are a little disruptive, and some of the casting wasn't the greatest (Peter Facinelli as Carlise Cullen and Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black were just bad), but the film did capture the mood and romance of the book that made it so popular. And that is due in large part to Robert Pattinson (Edward) and Kristen Stewart (Bella). The two sizzle on screen together, and without them this movie would have flopped. The scene in the biology classroom where they meet each other for the first time was done so perfectly, you can actually feel the tension between them. Pattinson's Edward is so sullen and sexy with his golden glare, it's no wonder Bella instantly falls for him. And Stewart is a perfect Bella, the new girl who isn't really one of the crowd.

The reason the book is so entertaining is due to Bella and Eward's instant attraction and lengthy, problematic courtship. Unfortunately, and to the film's detriment, the love story between Bella and Edward is rushed, and the attack from the hostile vampires becomes the focus of the film. But despite its problems I think the Twilighters are going to love the movie, and the two leads are going to be instant Hollywood royalty. If the pre-opening ticket sales are any indicator, a sequel is most likely going to be on its way. Eclipse, the second book in the series, lends itself for a more dramatic movie, and could very well be better than the first one. But I was a very happy fan while I watched the film and I can't wait to see the next Twilight installment. If you want to see more images from the film or learn about the story, visit the Twilight site.