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Released 19th December 2008
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Have you ever had the blood rush to your cheeks, and your stomach somersault after catching the eye of your teen-lust? When you’ve stared too long, agonising over the person you know you can’t have? Well, director Catherine Hardwicke’s Twilight rekindles that flush of excitement and racing naive romance experienced only by gangly adolescents. Twilight will bring the awkward, but pivotal moments of your growing-years back to be consumed by the young, and cringed at by the old.
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The essence of romantic films, now over-ridden with crude humour and CGI special effects, has been returned in kicking and screaming fashion by Hardwicke and screenplay writer Melissa Rosenberg (Step Up). Twilight takes viewers back to the spine of a truly engaging romance. It is the passion of narrator and central character Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and her obsession with the forbidden Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) which puts drive back into a screen-worthy relationship. The writer resurrecting this storm of infatuated characters is novelist Stephenie Meyer, with her series of unadulterated vampire books, currently including; Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.
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A vampire romance, the ultimate forbidden and ultimately alluring desire, has always been a hit with teen drama-queens (thinking of the popular TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer), though the concept of Dracula (even an adaptation involving Keanu Reeves) is too dated for the 21st century young girl. So, what is the taut thread pulling at Meyer’s novel to make it a successful adaptation? It’s Bella’s maddening fire for Edward. It steers the film, challenging her to tip the balance between sacrifice for love, and obsession veering into madness. This might sound like a pitiful storyline to cantankerous and craggy film reviewers, but Bella was created to be an accessible and identifiable character to young women, not grouchy old men.
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The story is seen through the eyes and mind of loved-up Bella, through her perfection-tinted yet distorted eyes making it the melodramatic love-life of a teenage girl. The film is translated onto a big screen in exactly that way; every aspect of Edward; his life, family, choices, personality is perfect, which is at times a bit too sweet to swallow. The relationship between the two characters is electric, surprising when you consider that they only kiss.
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Stewart has a magnetism drawing you to her face, making you watch every detailed expression, pulling you into Bella’s frame of mind. You become completely enraptured by her feelings that you forget to question Edward’s oddly over-talced complexion and super-spider climbing abilities. Stewart (more notably remembered from Panic Room, alongside Jodie Foster) is perfectly cast. Pattinson (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) is the star of Bella’s obsession - the very delectable Edward Cullen. Like a battle to the death these actors, using the language that will capture the heart of their teen-fascination, duel in battered eyelashes and slow-motion tousles, with Pattinson as Edward having the upper-hand by possessing the unnatural charm and allure descendant from Dracula himself. Stewart’s fraught glances convey the social awkwardness teenagers’ experience, and when words just won’t cut it, Pattinson and Stewart can get the audience up to speed with a bout of meaningful stares and deep eye-exposure.
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Edward is described in the novel as “devastatingly, inhumanly beautiful”, meaning Pattinson has a high standard of perfection to live up to for the readers alone, but he does this with an achingly-precise James Dean charm. When Edward walks on screen for the first time the entire audience shivers with Bella at his melting golden-eyed gaze. Pattinson’s ‘Edward’ is so unlike his previous role as Cedric Diggory (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). He is sultry, moody and unable to find the words to speak to Bella, let alone act the teenage charmer, as all his courting-skills are locked 100 years behind schedule.
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The relationship being the essence of the film, it is worth seeing to watch sparks fly between the two main characters, their heart-torn stares and agonising glances (obviously only the language of teenagers), supported by a pulsating soundtrack and the most ethereal forests Washington can supply. If you can’t be convinced by Linkin Park, Paramore and even Pattinson’s very own music, or the excitement of what’s being called ‘Obsessive-Cullen-Disorder’ or the knowledge that Meyer’s 4 books have sold 17 million copies world-wide, then know Twilight outsold both Quantum of Solace and High School Musical 3 in the US in its opening weekend, making £47m.
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Twilight is causing a vampire craze, with four vampire-influenced films to follow in the next few months. It revives Dracula’s infamous magnetism - the forbidden allure ancient vampires’ possessed - and interlacing it into a modern interpretation of the fatal attraction that brought Romeo and Juliet so much trouble, making a haunting re-enactment of the potency of first love. So confident of the film’s success, the sequel - New Moon (out 2010) - is already in production.
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By Laura Taylor
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READ our exclusive report from the UK press conference with stars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson and director Catherine Hardwicke HERE
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Synopsis
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Twilight is set in the darkest, wettest town of Washington. Teenager Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) moves there to live with her estranged father, and steels herself for a rough introduction into a new school. Within hours she is overwhelmed by the friendliness of her school mates, except for the boy who most intrigues her - the mysterious Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). Edward and his family are different, but even once Bella discovers the Cullen family’s secrets; she still cannot bear to be without him. Edward becomes the epicentre of her life in Forks, Washington.
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The Cullen family are vampires living secretly within the unsuspecting town. They have foresworn drinking human blood, choosing instead to live amongst humans in the wet Washington State as a family, suppressing their desires in order to fit in - a new concept of vegetarianism.
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Against warnings the two become an item, and Bella becomes Edward’s reason to live too. But their relationship is dangerous Bella is his life, but also his own personal brand of heroin and downfall. Giving in to each other could cost Bella’s life. To complicate the plot further, James (Cam Gigandet) a bounty-hunting vampire decides (during a baseball game of “Quidditch” proportions) that Bella will be his next conquest.
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Film Facts
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Official UK site: http://www.twilightthemovie.co.uk/
UK Release Date: 19th December 2008
Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Writer: (screen) Melissa Rosenberg (novel) Stephenie Meyer
Cast: Kristen Stewart (‘Bella Swan’), Robert Pattinson (‘Edward Cullen’), Billy Burke (‘Charlie Swan’), Ashley Greene (‘Alice Cullen’), Nikki Reed (‘Rosalie Hale’), Jackson Rathbone (‘Jasper Hale’), Kellan Lutz (‘Emmet Cullen’), Peter Facinelli (‘Dr Carlisle Cullen’), Cam Gigandet (‘James’) and Taylor Lautner (‘Jacob B;acl’).
UK Distributor: Contender Films
Certificate: 12A
Run-time: 122 minutes
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Video on Real.com
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Trailer:
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TWO CLIPS:
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Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Director Catherine Hardwicke Interviews:
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Premiere:
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Did you know…
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- The town of Forks, Washington was chosen for the novels because it is the American town which receives the least amount of sunlight making it perfect for vampires
- After playing the magnetic Edward Cullen, Robert Pattinson was listed 2nd on People magazine’s list of 2008’s sexiest men
- In San Francisco a screening had to be cancelled when 3,000 people almost caused a riot
- Twilight only cost £26 million to make
- The town of Forks has a Stephenie Meyer day
- Stephenie Meyer’s series is made up of 4 books (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn) which are all available to buy, and a fifth book; Midnight Sun, is in planning
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