Robert Pattinson & Emilie de Ravin in Remember Me

Teenage audiences, particularly female, are likely to fall headlong into the dour romantic drama "Remember Me" because Robert Pattinson and his fwoopy hair, taking a break from the "Twilight" franchise, are both in it.

And when you're a teenager, certainly when I was a teenager, confusing banality with profundity was practically a law.

Also, romances unfolding on the edge of a historic precipice hold a particular appeal to audiences, in a sick sort of way.

We know what's coming and we feel pity (if the story's in any sort of working order) because we know so much more than the lovers do.

"From Here to Eternity" had Pearl Harbor; "Titanic" had the iceberg; and "Remember Me" has a story taking place largely in New York City in the first half of 2001.

It stars Pattinson, who is frequently framed against a window, gazing at the summer sun while he deals with his own wintry emotions.

Like many a screen rebel, this one has money issues: His family's wealth and expectations have crushed his soul. An NYU student and bookstore employee, Tyler (Pattinson) lives with a skeezy roommate (Tate Ellington) who dares him to ask out the daughter of the cop who recently arrested Tyler during a night on the town. The daughter, Ally, is played by Emilie de Ravin of "Lost"; the detective father is played by Chris Cooper.

The dialogue can drive you crazy with its self-consciousness. On their first date, Ally gravely intones that she always eats dessert first. "Is that a political statement or a medical condition?" Tyler asks. No, she says, "I just don't see the point in waiting."

Screenwriter Will Fetters has written character types, as opposed to specific characters. "Remember Me" is a strange case of a film made by an interesting director, Allen Coulter, whose "Hollywoodland" was an underrated LA noir, working with an interesting cast. That's not the same thing as saying everybody onscreen seems to belong to the same universe. Pierce Brosnan's "Guys and Dolls" accent limits an already limited conception of his Wall Street businessman, while Pattinson -- a good actor, though the movie can't quit enshrining his brooding skills -- struggles to find a through-line to this generalized notion of F. Scott Fitzgerald/J.D. Salinger raw youth.

The message is clear: Live for the moments or, as the marketing tag line puts it, "live in the moments."

Some moments work, especially those featuring young actress Ruby Jerins as Tyler's bright, shunned younger sister.

But the more you wait for the biggest plot development of the last decade to reduce everybody's problems to a hill of beans, the more "Remember Me" starts to make you feel cheap.

 

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"Remember Me" Movie Trailer

In the romantic drama Remember Me, Robert Pattinson plays Tyler, a rebellious young man in New York City who has a strained relationship with his father (Pierce Brosnan) ever since tragedy separated their family.

Tyler didnt think anyone could possibly understand what he was going through until the day he met Ally (Emilie de Ravin) through an unusual twist of fate. Love was the last thing on his mind, but as her spirit unexpectedly heals and inspires him, he begins to fall for her. Through their love, he begins to find happiness and meaning in his life. Soon, hidden secrets are revealed, tragedy lingers in the air, as the circumstances that brought them together threaten to tear them apart. Set in the summer of 2001, Remember Me is an unforgettable story about the power of love, the strength of family, and the importance of living passionately and treasuring every day of ones life.

 

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MPAA rating: PG-13 (for violence, sexual content, language and smoking).

Running time: 1:53.

Cast: Robert Pattinson (Tyler); Emilie de Ravin (Ally); Pierce Brosnan (Charles); Chris Cooper (Sgt. Craig); Lena Olin (Diane Hirsch); Ruby Jerins (Caroline); Tate Ellington (Aidan).

Credits: Directed by Allen Coulter; written by Will Fetters; produced by Nicholas Osborne and Trevor Engelson. A Summit Entertainment release.