Independent Film Review: The Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn, Part I (2011), by Payman Akhlaghi

Kristen Stewart in
Breaking Dawn (I)

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part I (2011, 117')
Directed by Bill Condon
Based on Stephenie Meyer's novels
Music by Carter Burwell
Cinematography: Guillermo Navarro
Cast Includes: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, et al.

"The Twilight Saga" series resonate with the throbbing heart of our inner teenagers. That could also be why the producers must have felt that the first ever wedding ceremony between a vampire and a human surely deserved to be captured in full for posterity. Alas, the result, which has occupied almost a full third of the film, looks as interesting as any other wedding video being watched for the 10th time.

And yet, this tedious intro has served well to shape the dramatic curve of the story, setting up a patient crescendo toward an exciting and satisfying climax, saturated as much with action as with genuinely engaging human, and vampire, emotions. The consistently sensitive and sympathetic performance by Kristen Stewart continues to propel the series through this installment, too, with no sign of fatigue. Mr. Condon, a seasoned director ("Dreamgirls", "Kinsey"), has not only maximized on the natural talents of his gifted actress, but also has successfully employed an abstract experimental visual style, which is more typical of art films than a commercial franchise.

Carter Burwell's bitter-sweet music, absent since the original installment, once more underscores a variety of sentiments and events, with his recognizable melodic contours and orchestral timbres, but without sounding intrusive or overwhelming.

As such, one might recommend, endure the wedding, and you shall feel rewarded!

(*) Although this author tends to highlight original dramatic scores, this simple yet exciting song by Barlow Girls seems to merit to force him break the rule: "Never Alone".

(*) "Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Par I",  IMDB page.

© 2011, all text by Payman Akhlaghi. All rights reserved.