‘Remember Me’ – There’s life after ‘Twilight’ for Team Edward

remember-me-trio

Robert Pattinson will always have a gig with “Twilight.”

Sure, the film franchise can’t last forever, but just consider the endless tie-ins, promotions and, one day, comic-cons where he can sign autographs ’til his finger go numb.

That still doesn’t leave him with a movie career.

“Remember Me” could change that.

The drama pushes Pattinson beyond “Twilight’s” limited emotional canvas, allowing him to show something much closer to movie star chops than his detractors would expect.

The new romantic drama casts Pattinson as Tyler, a professional cynic who spends his days smoking cigarettes down to the filter.

He’s angry at his father (Pierce Brosnan) and distraught over the suicide death of his older brother. So when he sees a street fight break out he’s more than eager to step in and throw some punches – if only to let off some steam.

A surly cop (Chris Cooper) arrests Tyler even though he fought on behalf of the victim. Later, as movie luck would have it, Tyler decides to flirt with the cop’s daughter, Ally (“Lost’s” Emilie de Ravin), to gain a little revenge. It’s the first of two weak plot twists, although this one is far easier to swallow.

Soon Tyler and Ally are bonding like the two damaged souls that they are. But can Tyler beat back his personal demons long enough to truly fall in love?

Pattinson’s star-making turn as Edward the vampire actually inhibits his natural charisma. Here, he gives depth and feeling to a stale character type, the brooding loner desperate for a personal connection.

He may find himself in yet another complicated relationship, but the film’s ability to dig deeper into his character’s malaise suits his flawed, fractured profile.

The couple’s relationship ebbs and flows, and mostly in realistic rhythms. The duo have strong screen chemistry, powerful enough to shoulder past the inevitable final reel fracture.

Brosnan, so good you want to see him in every other scene, oozes wealth and entitlement, and his faceoffs with Tyler blister with unchecked rage. You’ll want to root against Brosnan, but it’s too slippery a performance to apply such facile labels.

Cooper’s character is similary tough to dismiss even though he fits a very specific template. He’s the kind of cop you’d want to answer your 911 call, but you’d be a bit nervous once he’s on the scene.

Yes, the film piles the emotional weight on Tyler until his wirey frame seems ready to buckle. But the love story is always there to keep him, and the movie, steady.

“Remember Me” ends on a powerful note, one audiences may find either sensational or insulting. It’s handled as gracefully as possible, and in its own way ties up the movie’s emotional themes in a way other resolutions couldn’t.

No matter how one measures the film’s final moments, it’s clear Pattinson’s star status appears to be more than just the wishful thinking of the tween “Twilight” set.