Knowing nothing about the source material, “Twilight” caught me completely by surprise — which is the only excuse I have for falling pretty hard for a longing, dew-eyed romance aimed at teenage girls. “Twilight’s” has its flaws, but underneath the vampirism-pathos was a surprisingly old-fashioned love story set in a small American town not filled with Hollywood stereotypes. Goodwill goes a long way and helps to forgive much (like weak special effects and listless action scenes), but “Twilight” earned plenty of goodwill with parents everywhere using metaphor as a way to teach teenage girls that true love is not based on sex.
“Twilight” is all about the self-restraint of both appetite and passion. Also playing an important thematic role is the importance of self-sacrifice, loyalty and family. It’s awfully hard not to like a film aimed at teens that’s so unapologetically earnest and well-intended. In this cinematic age of nihilism, moral relativism and hyper-sexualization of young girls, “Twilight” should be hailed as the work of iconoclasts.
Director Catherine Hardwicke is unfortunately not returning for the sequel, which opens this November. She’s a fascinating and complex filmmaker — hard to pigeonhole. A former production designer, her debut “Thirteen,” was one of the most interesting films of 2003, and I would argue (and have), one of the most conservative of the last ten years. Her sensibility which stamped the first, will hopefully set the tone for the rest.
The “New Moon” above trailer looks like more of the same.
Nothing wrong with that.
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