Friday 6 August 2010

The One Where There You Offend Millions (Unintentially?)

I HEART LOVE FILM

"Everything is everything, but you're missing..."


If you've not seen Remember Me, or somehow avoided the mass controversy, and walk outs it caused this year... I'd probably avoid this review. If you never intend to see it, or are intrigued as to how a "Rom Com", that's not a frat pack comedy about "special hair gel", read on... If you do want to see it, Love Film it, then DM me.

OK. So I first heard about this film reading Chud.com. I think they gave it 1/10. As a film fan, if anything gets 1/10, I want to see it.

So I went on IMDB, and read some more. 1/10s. Lots. The trailer certainly doesn't look like a 1/10, right?



R-Patz presumably - who like Daniel Radcliffe is in one of the biggest film series of all time... but can't actually act?

Well, no actually. Most noted him down as being pretty bloody good in this. And he is. He is solid. There's a few mannerisms, but more than enough to suggest there is more there than brooding good looks. The film started to remind me of Hayden Christensen trying to rebuild his career with Shattered Glass. And to be fair to Pattison, he gets close.

Was it the script?

No. That too, is an honest portrayal of a young couple, albeit cliched, trying to get by in New York. In 2001. September 2001, to be exact.

*Penny drops*

Yep. The end of this film, has all of the characters resolve all of their differences, only for disaster to strike.

Pattison ends up at his Dads office, waiting for him. His Dad is Pierce Brosnan, who Goldeneye and Long Good Friday aside, I have an irrational hatred for. I really liked him here.

He's been a pretty distant Dad. Going for the cash, at the expense of good relationships. The good side? His cash bails R-Patz out of jail, about ten times. The bad side? R-Patz doesn't want his freaking help.

The two get a couple of good scenes of verbal sparring - and it's here that he gets to show what he's about.

So, R-Patz. In a tower block. Looking at his Dads screen saver. It's pics of the family. His Dad did care, but didn't know how to express that.

So R-Patz is at least happy, there is something there for them to build on. He looks out of the window. It pans way, way back, to show the Manhattan skyline. He's in one of the twin towers.

*Gulp*

*Fade to black*

A couple of scenes of people's reactions, some of them being covered in ash - then finish.

I went back on IMDB today, and was pleasantly surprised to see an average of 7/10.

I honestly don't think there was any intent to offend here. It's not trying to cash in, on the day. It is a twist, in a way - but there are clear warning signs. We know it's 2001. People are smoking in clubs. We see the twin towers in the opening shot, too, ten years earlier - in the films most gripping scene.

I think we need films like this to remember past events. It's hardly United 93, or World Trade Centre. But it tries.

The romance is sweet. There are some really nice scenes of them falling in love.

And on a day like that, that's what we need to hang on too.

"No day, but today."

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