Its Brooklyn, 1991, and young Ally (Emilie deRavin) is about to witness a horrible murder. Fast forward ten years later, and she’s a student at NYU. Odd circumstances connect her to Tyler (Robert Pattinson) whose brother previously committed suicide. Ally’s father (Chris Cooper) is overly-protective of his daughter, while Tyler’s father (Pierce Brosnan) is emotionally unavailable. His mother, Diane, (Lena Olin) just wants everybody to get along, but there’s a lot of baggage that accompanies tragic deaths and the reverberations that come with it in the aftermath. The initial structure problems that set this movie up for disaster soon fade into a distant memory, but should be recognized as a pivotal plot point that brings Ally and Tyler together in the first place. Tyler is carefree, reckless and non-committal so it seems odd he’d go along with his roommate’s scheme to set up a date with Ally (since her father is a cop; the very cop he had a run-in with on a previous legal issue.) Getting Ally and Tyler together is awkward but once they’re “in it” it’s believable. Their cosmetic makeup matches, their pains and traumas of the past give them true reasons to love and connect. Even their families have revelations. It’s actually all good. Until the film’s final two minutes. And in that, you will leave the theatre deeply stunned and saddened. It’s the ultimate twist. There hasn’t been an ending like this in quite a while. And its bittersweet message runs deep. Enjoy every moment of life while you have it. It’s that simple. As for Mr. Pattinson…he’s apparently perfect at these tortured, Shakespearean romance types whether a vampire or a lost soul. Excellent casting to say the very least. Three and a half tiaras – because it’s all in the ending.
