Remember Me

Hold on a moment, are you saying that Robert Pattinson can't act? Well, I have a bit of a bombshell for you.

He can.

Remember Me is the story of two young people, Tyler (Pattinson) and Ally (LOST's Emilie de Ravin), who are dealing with the effects of losing close family members. Tyler's brother committed suicide on his 22nd birthday - a birthday of his own towards which Tyler is close approaching. Ally and her mother were victims of a mugging that ended tragically when the thieves murdered Ally's mother. Working through their own struggles and the sorrow that affects their parents every day, Tyler and Ally draw closer together, learning, loving, and moving on.

Tyler misses his brother daily, and regularly goes to a coffee shop they used to frequent in order to write letters to his brother. It's really journaling, and seems to be helping Tyler move through his grief in a somewhat positive way, although he doesn't truly move on until he finds Ally.

Ally has a fairly normal life, except for the fact that she lives with her father who clearly has not been able to forgive himself for his wife's death. Although he was not present at the scene, he works as a police officer and feels an enormous responsibility for keeping New York safe. He loves his daughter deeply, but the guilt complex ends up causing a rift between them - a rift incited by Ally's relationship with Tyler.

Meanwhile Tyler's dad (Pierce Brosnen) has also been affected by the loss of his loved one. He seems unable to connect emotionally with his 11-year-old daughter Caroline. Tyler repeatedly begs, berates and encourages his father to repair the relationship before it is too late.

And Caroline is an important piece in the film as well. In a world where siblings are rarely taught to find best friends in each other, Tyler and Caroline love each other deeply. Despite the ten-year-age difference, they protect, support and inspire each other in a way rarely seen on screen these days.

Remember Me is a beautiful and moving film, with excellent acting and a deep and engaging storyline. In my opinion, it's only falterings are a little too much crudeness from Tyler's roommate Aiden, a scene of premartial sex (that is nevertheless, fairly brief and not gratuitous), and an underutilization of Pierce Brosnen's acting skills. Though it did not bother me and I felt it worked within the context of the film, families will want to be aware that the film contains swearing, drinking and smoking.

I felt this was a film well worth seeing. Trust me, even if you hate Edward Cullen, you will still be able to appreciate Pattinson's acting in this film. And Losties of course already know the brilliance of Emilie de Ravin, but I think even they will be surprised by the abilities she shows in Remember Me.

Because the friend I watched it with was deeply affected by this point (and cried for about ten minutes afterwards), I also feel drawn to mention a fact about the ending. This is a SPOILER, however, so don't read further if you wish to be surprised.

SPOILER-----
The film deals with the events of September 11th, including the death of a beloved character in the World Trade Towers. I feel it was respectfully and tastefully done, despite the controversy on this point.
-----SPOILER OFF