Movie review: "Remember Me"

Other reviews I've seen of this movie basically dog it because the reviewers think the plot is contrived, the characters are predictable, and because for some reason nobody can think of Robert Pattinson without thinking of "Twilight."

I get all of that. Some plot points didn't contribute anything of giant value. We've seen these characters before. And yes, Pattinson is in "Twilight."

But.

This movie affected me in a surprising way. I cried... twice. The first time was because watching it sent me straight back to the days when I was sad, scared, depressed, angry and didn't see a way out of any of it. Watching the relationship between Tyler and Ally made me remember the relationship between me and my ex, which was not good in the least. I've worked really really hard to distance the person I am now from the person I was then, and when I see things like that on screen that trigger those memories, it messes me up.

The second time was because at the end of the movie -- the part that critics feel is a cheap attempt to make the audience feel something -- I felt something. And not just because of the ending. I felt that watching this movie, I was probably watching someone's real life without knowing it. Because in our early 20s we're all trying to figure ourselves out, right? And for some of us, it was harder than others. And regardless of the circumstances, it's nothing short of tragic to get close to figuring something of ourselves out and then be denied.

Life isn't fair or easy. This movie shows that. And just because we all know that, and we've seen plenty of other movies that show it, doesn't mean this one should be ragged on for telling the same story. THAT is unfair. If any other actor besides Pattinson was in this role, the critics would be praising his effort, even if they didn't care for the film overall. THAT is unfair. But worst of all, they are leading the audience to feel bad about responding to this movie in an emotional way. They are cheapening the experience by acting above it. And they are denying that the story could be at all real, when in reality it's a version of everyone's story. THAT is unfair.