By Cupcake XO

Twilight
Directed by Catherine Hardwicke
Starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Cam Gigandet, Taylor Lautner
Rated PG-13
Release Date: November 21, 2008

Imagine leaving your sunny and lively hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, to go live in the cold, rainy and dull Forks, Washington. Imagine leaving your frantic mother, to go live with your relaxed father. These extreme changes are what Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) must endure in Catherine Hardwicke’s Twilight.

The movie opens up as Bella is leaving Phoenix, and adjusting to her new surroundings. She soon finds herself at school and is captivated by the presence of a group of stunning schoolmates, who are the “foster children” of Doctor Cullen (Peter Facinelli) and his wife. Bella is most interested in the charming Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), who appears to be hiding a secret. At first, Edward avoids Bella at all costs, until he saves her from an almost fatal car accident. This is the start of a new relationship between Edward and Bella, and she soon finds out that Edward, and the rest of his family, are vampires; but, contrary to stereotypical vampires that feed on humans, the Cullens have taken on a “vegetarian” diet, feeding on animals instead of humans. Edward also explains to her that he was avoiding her because he thirsted for her blood.

As Edward learns to control his thirst for Bella, she is introduced to his family, and invited to play baseball with them. At this baseball game, a group of nomadic vampires encounter the Cullens, and are attracted to Bella’s irresistible scent. The leader of the nomadic vampires, James (Cam Gigandet), wants to hunt Bella, and won’t go down without a fight.

The acting in this movie was excellent. Pattinson did an outstanding job in showing his negative feelings towards his vampiric lifestyle. Also, both Pattinson and Stewart wonderfully demonstrated the tension in their relationship. Kristen Stewart made the character of Bella easy to relate to; especially for teenage girls, who are at an insecure time at their life. In addition, the Cullen family gave a wonderful performance, especially Jasper (Jackson Rathbone), in showing his struggle controlling his craving for Bella’s blood. They also made it easy for me to believe that they were a close family, and that they would do anything for one another (with Rosalie as the exception, of course). Nikki Reed gave a convincing performance as Rosalie, showing her contempt for Bella. The nomadic vampires (Gigandet Edi Gathegi, Rachelle Lefevre) were so realistic, that I was actually afraid of them at times.

The setting was everything I imagined while reading Stephenie Meyer’s novel. While watching the movie, I felt as if I was really in Forks. I especially enjoyed the scene in the dance studio, and Catherine Hardwicke’s utilization of mirrors. Also, I was marveled by the appearance of the Cullen household. The props around the house, such as the old fashioned radio in Edward’s room, clearly demonstrated the fact that the Cullens were immortal, and have collected items from many different eras. Also, the costumes were well done. I liked how the Cullens were not dressed as stereotypical vampires with a gothic look, but were instead dressed with fresh, cool colors that depicted their timeless life.

In conclusion, I highly recommend that you see this movie, although, I have observed through other people, that if you choose to see this movie without any knowledge of the novel, you will not understand much of the movie. Many of the scenes were very enjoyable, and anyone from teens to moms will enjoy this escape from reality.