7) Twilight
This isn’t a popular opinion in most circles, but I don’t hate the Twilight series like most people I know do. First of all, I think Kristen Stewart, based on her other work obviously, is a genuine talent and is going to do amazing De Niro-like work in the future, and I don’t care what you might think about that because it’s just a fact. She makes Twilight more interesting than it deserves to be. Second, the story is campy and dumb, but there is genuine emotional expression behind the stiffness of the acting, and real excitement and well-crafted sequences, especially in the concluding movie.
Having said that, the fact that most of Bella’s identity is developed through her romantic engagement with Edward is not what we expect from our heroines anymore. And there’s opportunity for focusing less on the love story and more on Bella’s transformation into adulthood and becoming a woman who can lead the Cullen charge against the tyrannical vampire council guys. The later movies try to do this, and that’s a credit to them. But too much of it is occupied with the pale romance, not nearly as satisfying as a girl’s coming of age would be. We’re starting to see the girl’s story catching up to the boy’s coming of age story lately. Twilight could have been better if it aligned with this angle a bit more. Bella can stand on her own without Eyebrows McWhiteface.
Please, share your thoughts on these or other romantic movies in the comments section below, but as Calvin Candie would insist, let’s “keep it funny.”
