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These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which, as they kiss, consume.
~Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene VI
A sliver of a moon hangs high. Stars dot the sky and chill the air with a brightness. The wind rustles the leaves with a delicious expectancy that I’ve been waiting for all night. I eagerly drive to the theater almost 2 hours early. After all, it’s the midnight premiere of Twilight Saga: New Moon, and I know there will be a long line. I pull my jacket tighter and wrap my scarf closer around my neck as I hurry to the doorway. Swarms of both men and women – of all ages – crowd the entryway and spill out into the foyer and onto the escalator. I go to the concession stand and get a small bag of popcorn and a diet coke. I’ve saved my calories all day for this treat.
Zig-zagging through the lines, I find my theater and go inside. Turns out, all the theaters in this 16-theater cinemaplex are showing the New Moon movie tonight. And, they are all sold out. I am grateful that I bought my ticket online at Fandango weeks ago. I find a seat on the top row, and sit there relaxing, while watching as young men and women stream in, filling the seats. Young girls huddle together and laugh, twirling their ponytails in their hands; some play cards, others play on their iPods, cell phones or Blackberries while waiting for the movie to begin. Many of them are wearing New Moon t-shirts as well as “Team Edward” and “Team Jacob” shirts. One young guy and his girlfriend come in dressed as Edward and Bella. Cute.
An attractive 30-something guy in blue jeans and a flannel shirt walks in, looks around and notices an empty seat by me. He approaches and asks if he can sit by me. I say sure. I’m impressed that a 30-something guy would come to this movie alone. He confides that he is a “closet” Twilight lover – that his “dude” friends would think he was silly. I tell him that he’s got great taste – that it’s one of the best series of books I’ve ever read and that the movies – so far – have been wonderful. My new friend Michael and I munch on popcorn and chit-chat about actors, movies and books. I like him.
The time passes quickly and before I know it, the lights dim and previews of upcoming movies pop up on the screen. The first one is the preview of Robert Pattinson’s upcoming movie with Emilie de Ravin, Remember Me, which is due in theaters February 2010. It looks terrific and Rob’s acting is heartfelt and emotional in the trailer. I tell Michael that Rob is destined to become one of the best actors of all time. He agrees. Soon, the screen goes to black and a beautiful, orange round moon appears. New Moon begins.
I am transported immediately back to green, rainy Forks, Washington, the hometown of Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and her father, Charlie Swan (Billy Burke) and her beautiful vampire boyfriend, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). (This movie was actually filmed in Vancouver, but looks very much like the setting in the first movie, Twilight.)

The movie is wonderful. The actors are brilliant. The pace is slow, deliberate and yet, fast-paced. Slow enough to build emotion and fast enough to move the plot forward. If one hasn’t read the books or seen the first Twilight movie in the series, then you may have a difficult time understanding what’s happening. It would be an enjoyable movie for anyone to see – regardless if you’ve seen Twilight or read the books. But, it is so much better if you know the story because of all the layers of emotions. This Twilight belongs to me – to all of us who love it. I am at home here. My friends are here. My thoughts are here.
The movie opens with a dream. Bella is in the field of wildflowers where she and Edward proclaimed their love for one another. Bella sees herself as old as her grandmother and there stands Edward with them – not a day older than the first day she met him. It’s Bella’s birthday and she’s 18 years old. She’s getting older by the minute while Edward remains 17. She wants Edward to “change” her into a vampire so she can live with him forever. This is a constant friction between the two in the story. Edward refuses to change her – thinking it will take away her soul in the process.

That night, the Cullens give Bella a birthday party and she slightly cuts her finger on some tape. Jasper (Jackson Rathbone) finds her blood too hard to resist and is getting ready to attack her, but Edward and the other Cullens intervene. The other Cullens are: Carlisle Cullen (Peter Facinelli), Esme Cullen, Carlisle’s wife (Elizabeth Reaser), Alice Cullen (Ashley Greene), Rosalie Cullen (Nikki Reed), and Emmett Cullen (Kellan Lutz).
Edward cannot bear the thought of Bella being in danger, so he and his family decide to leave the town of Forks, Washington to keep Bella safe. Edward tells Bella he will never see her again and that he doesn’t want her in his life.
Bella spirals downward into a deep, dark depression. On the screen, she sits catatonic in her bedroom while the seasons change before her eyes. The heartbroken Bella sleepwalks through her senior year of high school, numb and alone. Finally, after her father threatens to send her to Jacksonville, Florida, where her mother lives, she decides to go out with her girlfriend, Jessica, (Anna Kendrick). Bella soon realizes that she can see visions of Edward and hear him when she is about to do something dangerous. This spurs many dangerous acts on her part. Her desire to be with him at any cost leads her to take greater and greater risks.

Bella finds also finds comfort in her old friend, Jacob Black, (Taylor Lautner) who falls in love with her. Jacob is a member of the mysterious Quilete tribe and has secrets of his own that Bella doesn’t know about. Mainly, werewolves. They are: Sam Uley (Chaske Spencer), Embry Call (Kiowa Gordon), Quil Ateara (Tyson Houseman) and Paul (Alex Meraz). The two elders are Jacob’s father, Billy Black (Gil Birmingham), and Harry Clearwater (Graham Greene).
Bella’s high school friends are back: Jessica (Anna Kendrick) – who stole every scene she was in; Mike, (Michael Welch) – who also stole every scene he was in; Eric (Justin Chon) who didn’t have much to do in this movie and Angela (Christian Serratos) who also didn’t have much to do in this movie either. It was nice to see them though. Taylor Lautner, of course, starred as Jacob Black and he was excellent. Sweet, lovable and the kind of friend you’d love to have. Bella’s father, Charlie Swan, is played by Billy Burke. As he did in Twilight, he steals every scene he’s in. I love him.

My favorite scenes were the ones with the Volturi in Montepulciano, Italy (Volterra, Italy in the books). British actor, Michael Sheen stars as Aro and he is absolutely brilliant. Another British actor, Jamie Campbell Bower, is beautiful as the pale, blonde Caius. And, then there’s Marcus, played by another Brit, Christopher Heyerdahl. Dakota Fanning stars as the cunning Jane and her twin is Cameron Bright as Alec. Noot Seear is Heidi, the Volturi vampire that hunts for humans to feed on. Other Volturi members are Charlie Bewley as Demetri and Daniel Cudmore as Felix. The action scenes are tense and will have you on the edge of your seat. And, Montepulciano, Italy is absolutely gorgeous.
On the vampire scene, Edi Gathegi is back as Laurent and Rachel Lefevre as the redheaded vixen, Victoria.
The way that the actors have all grown together and have blended harmoniously in their roles in the Harry Potter movies, the Twilight actors are doing the same thing and it’s obvious in New Moon.
I am not going to give away any plot secrets in this review – in case you have not read the books. If you have read them, you know the story. For those of you who haven’t, it will be more fun for you to be surprised. And surprised, you will.

In essence, the movie is about losing your love – your heart and soul – and trying to learn how to live without that love. It’s about not caring if you live or die once that love is gone. This loss is something that most every boy and girl past their teenage years can identify with. (Sorry, tweens and teens, you’ll probably experience this sometime in your life.) Questions like: What do you do when someone breaks up with you? Leaves you? That’s what makes these Twilight books and movies so appealing and so wonderful. They’re about relationships – about love.

Twilight was lush and romantic; New Moon is heartbreaking, exhilirating, and action-packed with the introduction of all the werewolves and the Volturi coven in Italy. And, New Moon brings out the question about the soul. Not only is this movie about love and relationships, but it posits a more profound question: Do vampires have souls? Where do they go when they die? New Moon deals with Edward’s belief that vampires do not have souls and that humans do. Edward thinks that by leaving Bella, he’s doing what’s best for his her. I like to believe that anything living has a soul. Animals have souls. Beings have souls. Actually, I believe we are souls who have bodies. Not the other way around. So,yes, Edward, you have a soul. You are soul!
To recap: This movie is wonderful and will not disappoint fans. Directed by Chris Weitz, (The Golden Compass), he takes the action scenes to a new level in this movie. Melissa Rosenberg adapted the screenplay from Stephenie Meyer’s book, New Moon.) (Rosenberg also wrote the screenplay for Twilight.)
The music is quite good, although I have to admit I miss the score from Twilight. Leading off with Death Cab For Cutie’s infectious “Meet Me On The Equinox,” New Moon’s fifteen tracks are good, covering indie moods and attitudes. Some of the best material comes from unknown acts like Lykke Li whose sensuous “Possibility” is breathtaking. Anya Marina’s “Satellite Heart” is whispery and soulful, Bon Iver and St. Vincent perform a beautiful song, “Rosyln,” and San Francisco’s Black Rebel Motor Cycle Club performs the wonderful “Done All Wrong.”
As the credits start rolling on the screen, I come back and remember where I am. I’m back from Forks, Washington…back from Montepulciano, Italy…I’ve said goodbye to Bella and Edward and Jacob…for now…
Michael loves the movie as much as I do. He and I leave the theater. He asks me if I’d like to get an early breakfast and discuss the movie. Sure, I tell him. After all, the stars are still bright, the air is crisp…and love is in the air. I put my arm through his and we head off into the night…
Bella, Edward and Jacob, see you next year (2010) in “Eclipse.”