Twilight on DVD (1997)

A feeble attempt at Film Noir

Philip Concannon from London , 29/07/2004

A first-rate cast are lumbered with a third-rate script in Robert Benton's tedious thriller. Paul Newman plays Harry Ross, a retired ex-cop, who, like all ex-cops in the movies, has also been through private detective work and alcoholism. Harry is now living with, and working for Jack Ames (Gene Hackman), who is dying of cancer, and his seductive wife Catherine (Susan Sarandon). Jack and Catherine are both former movie stars who were also, once upon a time, involved in some dodgy, dangerous dealings. Harry, as a favour, agrees to sort out a situation for Jack, and this leads to some painful secrets from the past being uncovered.

From this starting point 'Twilight' gets horribly tangled up in a web of cliches and far too much plot. Benton's flat and predictable direction is abysmal, sucking any semblance of tension out of the film. The dismal dialogue(by Benton and Richard Russo) sinks like a stone as soon as it leaves the actor's mouths.

The talented cast is wasted here with a few scraps of character between them. Hackman spends his brief screen time grouching and wheezing. Paul Newman occupies himself by standing around stiff as a board and staring at everything in a curious matter. James Garner, Stockard Channing and Reese Witherspoon also appear somewhere under the rubble of this picture.

The actor who come off best from this mess is Susan Sarandon. Effortlessly sexy, she injects a much-needed shot of life into the veins of the film. But it's not enough, 'Twilight' is dead in the water and without it's star power it would surely be popping up as an average TV movie, nothing more.

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Modern Film Noir at its very best

A customer from Wales , 19/07/2004

Who says you can?t make Film Noir in colour! This film is a superb example of the genre. It?s helped of course by an excellent cast, and if the four principals have ever been individually better I can?t remember when, and when they share the screen they are true professionals, always giving each other the space to develop the characters and atmosphere, and never trying to steal a scene of each other.

All the characters are well drawn, all are basically decent people but flawed, some more than others. Whatever happen in the past that comes back to haunt the present, perhaps no-one really meant to happen, and it?s that bleak thread of Fate, blind to those it toys with and destroys, that gives the film its gritty edge.

The film boasts a literate script (I just love a scene between Newman?s and Hackman?s characters, who are good friends, when Hackman confronts Newman who has wronged him; as the scene ends and Newman goes to leave the room, Hackman says ?But you never said you are sorry? to which Newman replies ?You haven?t been listening?); a smooth plot allowed to develop at an appropriately slow, but never tedious pace; and a background full of the contrasting glamour and seediness that is forever the LA of a Raymond Chandler or a Ross Macdonald.

In an era of special effects and block buster explosions, what a pleasure to watch a film with real actors acting, and a decent and wordy script emhpasising plot and character. All in all this film is one to treasure.

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A waste of time

Paul Wardley from Herefordshire , 05/10/2004

Newman, Hackman and Sarandon, directed by Kramer vs Kramer director Robert Benton. How could it go wrong?

Here's how: Take a confused and confusing script peopled by unconvincing caricatures, miscast all the actors, take yourself too seriously and forget about little things like storytelling, pace and plot. The result is indescribably awful.

Even at 90 minutes this film is way too long. Everybody concerned wasted their time...but you don't have to waste yours by watching it.

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All right

Linda Armstrong from Belfast, N Ireland , 24/08/2005

Very long and drawn out, could have been 30 minutes shorter and would have been better. Newman, Sarandon and Hackman are all good in their roles but film still too long

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not even a B movie

A customer from Glasgow Scotland , 12/09/2008

Disjointed, cliched and amateurish - a real surprise, given the stellar cast.

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Gene Hackman, Paul Newman

A customer from West of England , 25/01/2006

Good `b' type movie for when you just want to watch something of good quality without it being a life changing experience. Lots of big names hence - good acting, story, plot, dialogue all ok.

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