My reaction:
At the request of @extrafriends I am reviewing the latest Twilight film. Before I start my review, I would like to make the comment that as a filmmaker myself, I have the greatest appreciation for anyone who makes films and I know how difficult it is to get right. One can work very hard indeed and still come up short.
That said, I think that The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part One (2011) was not as successful as the filmmakers might have hoped. At the time I am writing, the latest installment in the Saga has a 4.8 out of 10 rating on IMDB so I don’t think that it will be a surprise that I found it lacking.
I should note that I am not a Twilight Saga fan, though I did very much enjoy the first film. I think the reason that Breaking Dawn did not seem the same to me is that the whole premise, of a human girl falling in love with a vampire, fits well within the framework of a teen film, but is less suitable for the very serious adult themes that the saga is now moving into.
***From this point on the review contains plot spoilers***
At 39 years of age, I am not exactly the target market of the saga, but I really enjoyed the first film because one can always enjoy a great teen film. The topics covered in teen films are simplistic and often fall into the category of idealised fantasy and that is something that anyone who has ever been a teen can relate to. Ever since I saw the high school film Clueless (1995) at the age of 20, I have found it quite easy to enjoy teen films even as an adult. Though the idea of a dangerous vampire really being a misunderstood, deep feeling, good person seemed naive to me, I was quite happy to remember when such a premise would seem truthful, and just enjoy the film.
The problem with the current installment in the Twilight Saga is that, while it is directed at a teen market, it is not a teen film. The saga has moved to the point at which the main characters of Bella, a human, and Edward, a vampire, are getting married and making a decision about whether Bella should herself become a vampire. No matter how you sugar coat it, this is not a light subject, ergo this is not a teen film.
The bad IMDB rating suggests that at least part of the target audience felt the same way.
In addition to the subject matter departing from the romanticized storyline of the first film, the story also felt very contrived and took some convoluted twists and turns that reveal what the saga really has become, a soap opera. I don’t want to get into too much detail in case those who have not seen the film are still reading but I will also add that with one exception, the results of the convoluted plot created drama that just did not make for a satisfying story. If you are interested in what that exception was, please tweet at me @annelabarbera and I will let you know what it was.
The technical bits:
Just as fair warning, from here on if you are not a filmmaker, you are in danger of becoming very bored if you continue reading.
As someone who often works as a Director of Photography, I found myself thinking that I would have made some different choices. I felt that the film was over colored, causing the film to look cartoonish. I also noticed that, though the themes in the film got much darker and less romantic, the lighting of the film looked more like a romantic comedy than the first film had. This lighting combined with palad make up, actually did nothing for R Patz’ looks and his looks are a very big part of what the franchise banks on. I also noticed some scenes that used chroma key compositing that was less than fully successful.
Additionally, I thought the costume, hair and makeup reflected the look of a much smaller budget than the film actually had. Overall the film had the look and feel of an episode of Beverley Hills 90210, while it explored themes as dark as those to be found in the likes of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992).
I would have preferred darker colouring, a more grany film stock, and larger, moodier sets.
It had me thinking that the Twilight Saga simply is not my favourite vampire story. I think vampires belong, in crusty old castles in Europe with very little sunlight, not in beach houses in Brazil, or in British Columbia for that matter.