# Twilight (1998)

### reviewed by
Frederick Vallaeys

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    Twilight (1998)
    2.5 out of 5 stars

Twilight: a Crowd Pleaser, But Not For Young People

"Twilight," a new film by Academy-Award-winning director Robert Benton, deals with an interesting topic. While the film is being promoted as a dramatic story about corruption and scandal in Hollywood, the movie is really about three people who must overcome problems associated with growing older.

If the entire movie was more like its prologue, it would have been a definite crowd-pleaser for college audiences. The sexy, comical prologue takes place in Mexico. There, a teenager named Mel Ames (Reese Witherspoon), daughter of Hollywood actors Jack and Catherine Ames (Gene Hackman and Susan Sarandon), has eloped with her older boyfriend (Liev Schreiber) to enjoy the pleasures of life. When private investigator Harry Ross (Paul Newman) finds her and tries to return her to her parents, he accidentally gets shot in the leg by Mel.

After that, the movie shifts to the present. Harry has retired and is in the permanent service of Jack and Catherine. When he agrees to deliver a mysterious package for Jack, he discovers what appears to be the murder of an innocent man. An ex-cop, Harry hasn't lost his desire to investigate, and he thinks the killing might be connected to his employer. His only clue is the fact that Catherine's ex-husband disappeared under suspicious circumstances right before she married Jack. From that point, the movie slowly progresses to uncover some muddled clues. By the end, the obvious has been exposed.

The members of the cast fit their roles perfectly. Sarandon, Hackman and Newman are all aging actors adept at portraying their characters' struggles. Only Newman seems to have fun with his role as a divorced, ex-alcoholic and former private investigator. Newman charmingly portrays his character's revival after having been thrown in the middle of a murder mystery. The humor he inserts into his character is the best part of the film. Sarandon and Hackman are fairly uninspired, but then again, their characters basically do nothing more interesting than vegetate.

"Twilight" may sound appealing from the way it is being marketed, but it is not the type of film many young people will enjoy. Unlike most of today's movies, "Twilight" progresses very slowly, without any very memorable scenes. The dialogue is contemplative and filled with long moments of silence while Catherine is playing the piano for Harry.

While this film likely has value for older people, I am not in a position to appreciate that fact. As a college student, I can't recommend this film.

    Copyright (c) 1998 - Frederick Vallaeys
    All Rights Reserved

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