Remember Me (12A)

The ViewNewcastle Review

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Review byMatthew Turner01/04/2010

One out of Five stars
Running time: 113 mins

Badly written and frequently dull, this is further let down by poor casting decisions, a downbeat tone and some annoying characters but it's ultimately rendered unwatchable by an unbelievably crass ending that is both manipulative and reprehensible.

What's it all about?
Directed by Allen Coulter, Remember Me stars heart-throb du jour Robert Pattinson as rebellious student Tyler, who's still dealing with the suicide of his older brother six years previously. In particular, Tyler's angry with his wealthy and emotionally distant father (Pierce Brosnan), who seems intent on ignoring his adorable younger sister Caroline (Ruby Jerins).

When Tyler intervenes in a street fight and is roughed up by the arresting cop (Chris Cooper), his best friend Aidan (Tate Ellington) suggests that he get even by dating the cop's daughter, Ally (Emilie de Ravin). However, Tyler gradually finds himself falling for Ally when he discovers that she's dealing with both father issues and a personal tragedy of her own.

The Bad
Pattinson isn't terrible but he bungles his big emotional confrontation scene, making it acutely embarrassing to watch. He also fails to generate any real chemistry with de Ravin, though he does have a likeable and appealing brother-sister relationship with Jerins, who makes a strong impression and is basically the only good thing in the film.

In addition, Brosnan is badly miscast (it might have been better if he and Cooper had switched roles) and Ellington is deeply irritating as Aidan, even allowing for the fact that his character is meant to be annoying. However, the biggest problem is the script, which is frequently dull but also cheats the audience by having all the emotional reunions come as a result of something that comes out of nowhere towards the end of the film.

The Worst
Unfortunately, all of the above pales in comparison to the shockingly manipulative and unbelievably crass finale. There's actually no way to convey the sheer horror of it all without spoilers, so skip the next paragraph if you don't want to know the ending.

Still here? Okay then. Basically, the film ends with Pattinson waiting in his father's office, which is then revealed to be, yes, on the top floor of the World Trade Center. On the morning of September 11th, 2001. And all in pursuit of your hot, salty tears. See? Shocking.

Worth seeing?
In short, the atrocious finale tips Remember Me into unwatchable territory. One to avoid.

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Remember Me (12A)
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