When I saw the trailer to Robert Pattinson’s new film, Remember Me I didn’t know how to see him as anything other than the blood sucking Edward in the Twilight sagas. I gathered it was a love story after seeing Pattinson and co-star Emilie de Ravin (Lost) kissing and cuddling on a beach. I figured, ‘poor guy has seriously been pigeonholed into teeny girl romantic leads and his career's fate is sealed.’ Then the next trailer had ‘Breathe Me’ by Sia playing in the background and I fucking swear to God that song will make any movie seem tragic and worth watching. I remember hearing it for the first time during HBO's Six Feet Under series finale (watch it) and it immediately became a single to the soundtrack of my life. I file it in a folder labeled: 'Happily Damaged.' 

Anyway, the Sia’s musical contribution to the film made it jump out of the screen and into my list of movies to watch. (When it hit the Redbox) THEN I stumbled upon a well-written article on Moviefone that was titled: ‘Controversial 'Remember Me' Ending Dividing Critics and Audiences.’  I thought: What? Seriously? This movie has a ‘controversial' ending that has divided critics and audiences? How the hell is that possible? It's a Robert Pattinson movie for fucks sake?!  I clicked on the link, scanned through and passed the ‘Spoiler Alert’ warning to read one of the best endings a filmmaker or studio has dared to release since the attacks on 9/11. 

On top of that, I had a new found respect for Robert Pattinson for being completely chancy and going against the grain of that glittery-sun-kissed-pale-vampire shit to do a film that makes people gasp in offense or shock as the ending plays out. 

 

The movie isn’t biographical to an extent but has Pattinson's character dying in the Twin Towers on Sept 11th.  Could the fact it’s not a biographical depiction like other films concerning the events on 9/11 be the reason some are offended by the films ending? Why? Is it too soon? It’s been over eight years since it happened. I can understand the sensitivity about the subject and the lives it impacted but it also effected and influenced the United States and the world as a whole since it occurred. Why not the film industry? Laws have changed; wars on terror and the Middle East begun; some of our fundamental freedoms have been raped; our country united and then divided.  “You’re either with us or against us,” threat tore American’s apart when we should have continued pulling through this tragedy together and aiding those affected by the attacks.  

My take on the ending of this movie: Robert Pattinson’s character portrayed many of the people who lost their life and loved ones on September 11th 2001. They had lives up till the day the planes crashed into the Twin Towers and the film represents all those lives lost, in some small way. The storyline has so many other poignant aspects for us to consider, in our own personal existence while illustrating the ending in a tastefully executed vantage point without putting the viewer inside the horror of what the victims experienced while dying. I don’t see the studio, director, producers, and actors behind the film intentionally trying to disrespect the memory of those that died. Some may say the film's ending is unforgivably exploiting those deaths for profit and I can understand why it could be construed in that light. But I also believe revisiting the pain of that day can help our nation heal and see all the positive happenings in our world that we fail to notice.

In a blink of an eye on an ordinary day, death slips in and occurs. It’s the only absolute thing in life we know for sure is going to happen.  We humans tend to forget that while dwelling on tedious superficial bullshit that doesn’t matter in the end—Myself included. 

I tip my hat to this film for having people talking, debating, thinking and
most of all—remembering.

Remember Me is now in theaters. (Wonder if it’s any good?)