Retro Film Review: Twilight (1998)
Modern Hollywood is obsessed with youth and its products are primarily directed towards younger audiences. Older people stay away from theatres these days, so older characters don't tend to appear in films, at least not as protagonists. One of the rare modern Hollywood films which use old talents in main roles is Twilight, 1998 film noire directed by Robert Benton.
Protagonist of the film is Harry Ross (played by Paul Newman), former policeman, former private detective and former alcoholic. Despite being burdened by years, he manages to bring back 17-year old runaway Mel Ames (played by Reese Whiterspoon) to her parents Jack (played by Gene Hackman) and Catherine (played by Susan Sarandon), two wealthy Hollywood actors. Ameses are so pleased with Harry that they let him stay in house and run occasional errands. Two years later Jack, who is dying of cancer, asks Harry to bring envelope to certain address. Routine errand turns into criminal case when Harry stumbles into mortally wounded policeman. It turns out that Ameses are victims of blackmail related to 20-year old family secret.
The title suggests that Twilight deals with people faced with the unpleasant knowledge of the best years being behind them. The cast is also dominated by people in their 60s and the characters, including protagonist, seem to be obsessed and traumatised with their mortality, illness, impotence and all other issues that become relevant with the age. The melancholic feeling in the film is underlined with its Hollywood setting which makes sharp contrast between elderly protagonists and city obsessed with youth and beauty. Benton, who had been dealing with those issues before, gathered good cast. Newman, who looks like he could play the protagonist in his sleep, delivers delightful performance, just like James Garner in the role of another elderly private investigator. Hackman is solid as usual, while Susan Sarandon again shows how women in their 50ies also can be seductive. Cinematography by Piotr Sobotinski and Elmer Bernstein's music add more melancholic atmosphere to Twilight.
Unfortunately, Benton was so concentrated on the character study that he forgot to wrap it into some kind of coherent plot. The script is using generic film noir plot – seemingly complicated web of intrigues, depravity and dirty secrets, which is actually easy to decipher long before the predictable ending. Plot isn't the only weakness of Twilight - excellent casting of the old talents is in sharp contrast with Giancarlo Esposito who delivers one of the more annoying attempts of comic relief. But the worst problem for Twilight is one seemingly minor and unimportant creative decision. At the very beginning Reese Witherspoon appears sans clothes and distracts the audience from what this film is really about. Ironically, the film that was supposed to pay homage to big Hollywood stars past their prime also shows what happens to big Hollywood stars before they finally reach their stardom.
However, despite those flaws and despite not fulfilling its potential, Twilight is entertaining film that would satisfy even those viewers who aren't fans of the old stars.
RATING: 5/10 (++)
(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.films.reviews on June 29th 2004)
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