Twilight <3

I managed to see Twilight at the cinema this afternoon/evening. I realised yesterday that it was the last couple of days when there were varying times (before going to just one showing per day - late evening) so I thought I'd better go very soon if I wanted to go. I completely loved it. Having read the book so recently meant that I picked up a lot more of the similarities and differences - I was interested to see where they had given a line from one character to another, changed some details or missed out some sections entirely. I think that the book was still better, simply because it had significantly more content (obviously they had to cut it down for the film).

Characters

Kristen Stewart isn't the first person I would have thought of in the part of Bella (though I'm not sure who I would have thought of - I'd already seen the ads for the film before reading the book) but she was awesome in the part.

Oh my goodness, Robert Pattinson, loves. Lol. I thought he was brilliant in the part. I think the best part was his fantastic ability to mood swing - when he grins it completely changes the atmosphere (and he's very good at the sarcastic/sly grin). Not too hard on the eyes either, lol.

Alice Cullen was definitely my favourite character despite the fact that she didn't talk that much. Ashley Greene was perfect for the part, exactly as I imagined her. I loved the way she did the ballet-style kicks before bowling in baseball.

Nikki Reed was an excellent Rosalie Hale - I think she got the tenacity of the character over very well. Unfortunately in Twilight there isn't a lot of Rosalie so you don't get to develop the character much.

Kellan Lutz was very good as Emmett. He wasn't quite as big as I expected (though I think that the more lithe sort of figure does reflect the whole 'vampire' image) and I have to say I found him kind of loveable - I thought he should possibly be a little more menacing but I still loved him anyway, lol.

I have to say that Jasper was the only one that really went against my image of him. In the books it said that it was impossible to be uncomfortable with him around, I expected him to be more friendly but wary and keeping his distance rather than simply blank, stand-offish and a little creepy. It's hard to see what Alice sees in him in the film though hopefully the character will be a bit more developed in the next film (having not read the book I don't know if he's involved much). Oh yes, I have nothing against Jackson Rathbone acting the part of Jasper, I think that he could fit quite well in terms of appearance, it's just the way he (or possibly the director) has chosen to act the character.

Peter Facinelli and Elizabeth Reaser were wonderful in the parts of Carlisle and Esme Cullen, I thought that the compassion and love came across beautifully (particularly with Esme of course).

Eric and Mike were not quite as I expected but I'm not quite sure what I expected so I simply accepted it and thought they were rather good.

Jessica seemed a bit too shallow, not quite sure exactly why - I know that she was rather shallow in the book as well but even so. Loved the character of Angela though she did seem a little more outgoing in the book but I suppose that was mainly to save time for more important scenes in the film.

I loved Billy and Jacob Black - Taylor Lautner is cute! And a great actor of course :).

Billy Burke was a perfect Charlie Swan - I thought that the way this actor was portrayed was very true to the book. Nice when that happens, isn't it :). Also, Sarah Clarke was rather a good scatty mum.

The 'other' vampires - James, Laurent and Victoria were portrayed very well. I think that Rachelle Lefevre is really rather beautiful, for some reason I expected her to have slightly more evil (or at least more smirky) expressions but she was reasonably serene.

Things that niggled at me

The exaggerated blowing of Bella's scent - mainly the bit in Biology with the fan. The fact that Edward covered his face with his hand etc. seemed rather exaggerated when more uptight behaviour would have probably done... I guess it's because it's hard to show that it was her scent that was making him crazy without actually saying it (seeing as they removed the scene later where he explains it).

When Bella did the whole 'I know what you are' thing they had a lot of the silence with focusing on her breathing strangely, it meant that when she said she wasn't afraid it seemed far more like she was just saying it rather than that she actually felt it. Same with the scene in the ballet studio with James - there was no relief-at-her-mum-being-safe-without-caring-about-her-own-situation thing

The scene when the Cullens were making dinner for Bella - it was rather sweet and I did kind of like it but the whole Rosalie-breaking-a-bowl thing and the fact that Bella already ate etc. niggled a little.

It was far too easy for Bella to get away from Jasper and Alice - for people who were supposed to be watching over her they didn't do a very good job.

I liked the fact that in the books there was less gore and simply a short explanation of what happened rather than a description. In the film they showed a bit more of that (such as the ripping James to pieces - though there wasn't too much of this) and also they showed the struggle with Edward sucking the venom out of Bella's arm. I quite liked the fact that there was not really a description of that in the book but I do kind of understand why they put it in the film.

Things I wish they'd kept in

My favourite scene in the book was Edward's 'confession' (the bit where he told her how he'd felt when he first met her etc. and explained all the contradictory feelings etc.) and they didn't have it in the film, they simply scattered the more important bits of that scene into other scenes.

There was no explanation of Carlisle's (or much of Edward's) history. I quite liked that stuff.

I think there was a bit less sarcasm/slight skepticism on Edward's part which was a bit sad as I found it very entertaining in the book.

There wasn't really much hand-holding which I really liked in the book as it created more of a sense of... fondness? I guess that's what I'm aiming at.

Favourite film bits

I loved the montage of Bella and Edward in Bella's room talking/sleeping.

I also loved the bit of a montage with them lying on the grass in the woods next to each other.

There were plenty of other scenes in the film that I loved but I won't list them all here...

Anyway, overall it was a fantastic film. I loved it and I very much want it on DVD so will be getting that when it eventually comes out... Also when I have time I'd quite like to look up the soundtrack for Twilight because there was a song in the credits that I really liked :).

Hmm, it's really time I was in bed now. I've got a full day of college ahead, *sigh*. I've been reading 'The Chocolate Lovers' Club' by Carol Matthews today. I think I'm about two thirds of the way through. I'd quite like to finish it today. It's not a bad book actually, though there are a few dodgy bits (as there often are in her books) and I think I've figured out a couple of important points but I'll see if I'm right (such as the fact that I think Lucy's boyfriend is actually Chantel's gigolo... yes, a bit weird; it's not all like that). So I must be off now, plenty to do, I hope that if you've read this far that you've enjoyed my whole movie spiel... I like doing these things but I never really expect anyone to read them, I simply like putting my views out somewhere where I can come back to them another time if I really want to. And where, if people want to, others can give their opinions on the same topics...

Must sleep now. Or read. Or possibly watch QI. Lol. Whichever, I must go. <3