Totally surprised... needs a few improvements

Rating: 7/10 (7 June 2009)

Twilight begins with 17 year old Bella, moving to Forks, a small town located in north western USA. She finds herself captivated by the handsome Edward and soon discovering that he and his family are vampires. So it sounds awfully like it's aimed at teenage girls. That's because it is. However the on screen romance between the films two central characters, Bella and Edward, plays out with such tender affection and excellent pacing, that issues of age and gender soon become irrelevant. While at times Robert Pattison (Edward) is unable to give weight to thirst for Bella's blood that his character is constantly fighting against, his performance is on the whole utterly convincing. The delicate portrayal of Bella, by Kristen Stewart is equally solid and believable. Unfortunately her efforts are often undermined by the film-makers frequent use of ex positional voice over.
With an on screen chemistry that goes deeper than your typical sexually charged teen movie, while not too challenging, is refreshing. And director Catherine Hardwicke does well not to rely too heavily on emotional investment from the audience to drive the plot forward. Introducing a trio of some not so wholesome day walkers from the films open shot, a firmly rooted undertone of threat spans the entire film.
Even if you see Twilight seeking tradition horror, to be disappointed by Meyer's rather refreshing revamp of the vampire mythology; the picturesque landscapes beautifully depicted throughout are an undeniably enjoyable cinematic experience. Ultimately Twilight is a very faithful and well composed adaptation of a highly successful book.