Weekly Review -- The beauty of transcendence

Remember Me (2010) -- There are not too many films that deal with the subject of life as a mere moment in the infinite universe. In a sea of recent blandly unsuccessful cinematic romances, this Allen Coulter-directed drama is a refreshing entry.

Young Tyler Hawkins (Robert Pattinson) is disconnected -- from his family, his friends, his own existence. Having lived through a family tragedy that has strained relations between him and his father (Pierce Brosnan), Tyler is unable to relate to anyone, until a random incident brings Ally Craig (Emilie de Ravin) into his life. Their relationship grows within their dreams and ambitions, amid their families' woes and misunderstandings, and in the midst of a world that is incapable of just stopping and smelling the roses...

The screenplay by Will Fetters is thoughtful and occasionally playful, with tinges of melancholy along the way. Reflecting the innocence and excitement of a first love exceptionally well, it also outlines in delicate sketch work the various emotional and physical connections that humans share. I would have been interested in seeing more interaction between Tyler and his mother (the always great Lena Olin) and Ally and her father, as well as seeing more depth to Olin's character and more of a context to Ally's father. The ambiance is uniquely inviting. Setting the film in New York City imbues the proceedings with a sense of nostalgia, a sense of rich and unrequited longing, which fits the themes perfectly.

As far as the acting goes, the cast is suitably chosen. Pattinson proves that he is much more than Edward Cullen and Brosnan has an excellent turn as Tyler's detached father, while Chris Cooper gives another stellar performance and relative newcomer Ruby Jerins shines as Tyler's bullied little sister.

**HUGE SPOILERS (please highlight to read)**

As far as the ending goes, my feelings are quite ambiguous. In a way, I could not fully appreciate it, being that I had become so invested in the characters' lives and that the entire film seemed to be leading up to enlightenment in their relations; then again, the story was meant to represent a slice of life, a fragment of a temporal mosaic that we know can be extinguished as suddenly as it was created. Considering that the film dares not to tack on a prosaic happy ending, and that it re-visits an event like 9/11 within its framework of fleeting realities, it deserves kudos.

**END OF SPOILERS**

What I liked about Remember Me was its readiness to accept the highest highs and the lowest lows that each day may bring. The good comes with the bad, the sweet comes with the sour, and sometimes everything ends in sheer, often horrifying, unpredictability, but it is what we do and who we influence during our earthly sojourn that counts. This film was definitely not made to please everyone, its ending being the most debatable point it presents, and it is this independent spirit that turns out to be its main strength.

8/10