The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)

First, a confession: I had read all four Twilight books. Second, a correction: I had read three and a half books in the so-called Twilight saga. Third, a declaration: I can explain.

I blame it on a DJ. DJ Lana is the host of Shelv-It!, a special radio show on Jam 88.3 that features and gives away a different book every week. Once upon a time, Lana reviewed a then virtually unknown novel called Twilight, by a then virtually unknown author named Stephenie Meyer. She gave it high praises, spoke of it in superlatives. A then gullible FM radio listener happened to be tuned in, and although he didn’t win the book, he had at that time at least $30 worth of Fully Booked gift certificates. So, a week later he had bought not just Twilight but also its three sequels, namely, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. Expecting his mind to be blown away by the supposed qualities of the book that Lana pointed out, he was rather helpless to find his mind messed with instead. Suffice it to say that he managed to come out of the first three novels alive and barely breathing, but halfway through the final installment, alas, even he had to realize that he had a breaking point and, more important, self-respect. He sold his Twilight collection to an unsuspecting, now a Twihard, friend.

Now before I get carried away by referring to myself in the third person, allow me to share my thoughts on the film adaptation of the second book in the series, nimbly titled The Twilight Saga: New Moon, which I saw just last night (for free, thanks to this guy), because apparently I haven’t learned my lesson. And I reckoned I could use some unintentional comedy in a movie about an uninteresting young lady torn between her sparkly vampire lover and her shirtless werewolf best friend, as well as the perfect venue to pet the persistent zit on my left cheek.

Fourth, another confession, an Armond Whitesque one: I liked the movie. Fifth, some clarification: I liked the movie’s graceful, albeit at times slightly sentimental, score by Alexandre Desplat. The Twilight Saga: New Moon was blessed to have him and his baton on board. I liked the movie’s soundtrack, a fantastically homogeneous mixture of some of today’s best songs that Alexandra Patsavas could find. You simply must get ahold of the album. I liked the movie’s overall direction, by Chris Weitz (best known for American Pie, widely acclaimed for About A Boy), compared with Catherine Hardwicke’s largely uninspired take on the previous adaptation. The look and feel of New Moon were pleasantly reminiscent of the precarious atmosphere of The Golden Compass, Weitz’s previous project. I liked the movie’s supporting tailenders, Michael Sheen and Dakota Fanning in brief but professionally promising roles, just a bit more than I enjoyed Kristen Stewart’s usual acting as herself and Taylor Lautner’s channeling of his Shark Boy origins. And most important, I liked the movie’s middle part, where Robert Pattinson and his lethally cheesy lines and annoying actor tics were notably absent. For One-Eyed Pete’s sake, give the man a Razzie!

Finally, a reiteration: I liked the movie. Perhaps chiefly because I sort of liked the source material. Did I mention the second book was the closest thing to a favorite of mine in the series? Bloody hell, I actually liked the movie, didn’t I? I blame it on a DJ.