You want to grant Robert Pattinson his wish to break free of "Twilight" and do something new, but there's precious little of it in "Remember Me."
Pattinson's still moping, big time, as Tyler Hawkins, a self-destructive rich kid adrift in Manhattan, mourning the death of a brother.
He drags his tortured soul along with him, and he also engages in a highly problematic romance with a young woman, although (hooray for Robert) this one is quickly consummated.
As Tyler, Pattinson gets a chance to be unchivalrous. After he's beaten by a cop (Chris Cooper), he learns that the man's daughter (Emilie de Ravin) attends his school, and sets about seducing her as an act of revenge.
You will not be surprised to learn that he falls in love. Soon they're sharing a room, and the audience awaits the fateful moment when he's forced to explain that he's a lying cad.
Well, at least he's not a vampire. Although his father (Pierce Brosnan) thinks he's a bit of a bloodsucker, since he has to bail the fight-prone boy out of jail periodically.
Tyler blames his brother's death on his distant, distracted dad (which feels a bit glib), and this is the source of the one-note brooding Pattinson displays thoughout.
"Remember Me" has a little better luck with de Ravin, who herself carries the residue of a family death, providing the screenplay with the kind of symmetry it needs much less of. The movie feels overwritten and schematic - damaged souls continuing to damage one another. Also a little humorless (Tate Ellington fails to deliver comic relief as Tyler's goofball roommate).
I pined for lighter moments, and didn't get one until late in the game. I laughed the hollow laugh of a cynical old movie critic during the eye-rolling final scene, which is certainly not meant to be funny. I apologize in advance to "Twilight" fans who find it tragic and profound. It gave me an idea, though. Pick up the phone, Rob, and call Judd Apatow.
