The Case for Waltzing in the Twilight

Well, 2008 has about one day left in it. And, to finish off the year, I attended a couple of movies. And, befittingly, they were films from opposite ends of the cinematic spectrum.

First off, I indulged my serious side by attending a screening of A Waltz with Bashir, a festival film now on general release that has made many critics' "films of 2008" lists. The film, following the attempt by a few soldiers to recall their experiences in the Israeli incursion into Lebanon, was given added poignancy with the recent attacks by Israeli forces into Gaza. The film was less about the political motivations of the times (though it did dwell on some horrific events that occurred), but dwelt more on the nature of memory and the ability of people thrust into traumatic circumstances to protect themselves from the more troubling aspects of their actions.

The whole film was presented as an animated feature (which did not mean there was no nudity, far from it), and the style used was really impressive. The stories of those involved were told in Hebrew (so there were lots of lovely subtitles), though I have to admit that, due to the fluid nature of memory recollection and the subsequent translation of that nature to film meant that I had I hard time keeping track of what was "real". It is not a documentary about the events of that time, so the film was more an inspiration for further study than an informative piece that covered all the issues, but more a catharsis for the director and those he interviewed, a way for men to recall their experiences and share how they felt about what happened, or at least, what they remember happening, from their point of view.

Verdict: Overall, for what really is a "talking heads" movie, A Waltz with Bashir was really well told, very stylish, though definitely a hard slog and not a film for those seeking light entertainment. 7 Dances with the Stars out of 10.

Movie number two was in an entirely different (pardon the pun) vein. Twilight has been an international mega-success, though the audience for this film is very different from Waltz with Bashir. I was surrounded by young women (with some boyfriends in tow), and the Mills & Boon with Vampires film definitely sated their romatic bloodlust.

The plot is easy to summarise: Girl meets bad boy from the wrong side of the sun and romance ensues, though said romance is spoiled by those disapproving of live/undead relationships. Quite why these two are attracted to each other was completely lost on me (she was eternally mopey and depressive; he was uncommunicative and unpleasant), but then they experience quite a few montage scenes (definitely think the Team America: World Police montage song when I use that phrase) where I am sure their love and lust was meant to blossom amongst the lingering looks and soft rock ballads.

Yeah, I was definitely not in that teen girl target audience demographic, so it was a bit of a long disappointment for me. Being an American teen movie, every character was played by a fantastically good looking actor (Bella, by name and nature, was inducted into the "cool clique" at school for her looks alone, as she offered nothing else that I saw), which is always a shame, though to be expected. However, I also have issues with the portrayal of the Vampire life as a "perfect alternative" (an issue tackled on more than a few episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and quite well, in my opinion), so the fact this film presented that the undead lifestyle as a wealthy, exclusive club for a special beautiful elite annoyed me as well.

But, as the credits rolled, I reassessed the movie and realised Twilight really works as an introductory film to the sequels that are destined to follow. Characters were introduced and relationships established (if not necessarily believably) and motivations and backstories hinted at (though not elaborated upon), all paving the way for future elucidation. I actually think Twilight might work better as a TV series than a film (that is not necessarily a suggestion to the networks, by the way, though I would expect royalties if this came to pass), though I can see that the bookly nature of the original material would lend itself more to movie retelling.

Verdict: Twilight is a competent teen love story - looks good, makes all the right sounds - but is ultimately a bit shallow and lifeless for someone such as myself. 45105 out of 90210.