New Moon Thoughts: Kristen Stole the Show

Sparkle for Twilight: Blog Update! Really specific spoilers alert! Last night, was heavenly. I've never ever been more excited to see a movie in the theater before, and it was my first time attending a midnight showing. I also need to tell you guys about seeing Taylor at Jimmy Fallon, but this comes first because New Moon just.......consumed me. I just need to talk about it.

I have been avoiding clips and stills for the last two months. Even when I went to see Kristen in person on Jimmy Fallon the other night, I literally looked down at the floor when they showed the clip because I didn't want to see it on the monitors. I was saving myself at all costs.

I was at the theater yesterday at 8:30 with my mother, Bestie and her mother (who's never read or seen this thing) because we had a Twilight double feature. By the prom scene, people were running out to get into the next theater so we could get good seats for New Moon. My theater was packed, and seeing it with an amped crowd was so much fun. The most ruckus during the movie was when girls started growling at the fact the 12:01 AM showing was running way late. They were REALLY milking the previews. When the theater lights began to dim people started cheering only to be greeted by a preview for that Orson Wells movie. When Zac Efron's face appeared, me and Bestie looked at each other and were like, are they for real right now? Sorry Zac Efron, you're old girly-faced news.

With each additional preview, there were a lot of COME ON ALREADY!'s and even Bestie's mom was getting ticked when she looked at her watch and said, "This is not right. What are they doing here?" FIVE freaking previews later, the show started. (Okay, so the final preview didn't count because when everyone was close to their last nerve, they throw in Remember Me and I actually gasped audibly as other girls clapped with glee.)

Glorious, glorious New Moon. Right from the slow transition to the title letters.

I don't even know where to begin. I read a few other people's reviews, but they don't wholly capture what I thought about the movie after leaving the theater at 2:30 in the morning completely buzzed with thoughts.

I was expecting it to be great considering the previews, but I also expected that I'd love Twilight more, just because of the four books, Twilight is my favorite. In fact, I hated New Moon when I read it because I wasn't buying Jacob.

The only other thing I was afraid of is if the movie was too turmoiled. You know how there are some movies you can watch and really appreciate and love, but you also don't really want see again? For me, those are movies like Titanic, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and Atonement. The endings are heartbreaking and unavoidable, and the actors play it all so convincingly that they might as well reach in and rip your heart to shreds because by the end you don't even know what to do with yourself.

So I sat prepared to watch the movie for what it was, remembering that if I got worked up with my Jacob issues, I'd tell myself that I've read Breaking Dawn. I know what happens. I know Edward and Bella live in literal eternal bliss in the Snow White-esque cottage complete with a picture perfect little garden. I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS.

Taylor totally and completely sold Jacob to me. Taylor is the reason I'm now more forgiving of Jacob, and I almost even want Bella to give in to him. Almost. Everyone is saying what a convincing job Taylor did for this character. I couldn't agree more. His abs were secondary.

At the same time, I think the most credit due is for Kristen. Most reviews I've read so far don't mention this at all. In this movie, you can really see--more than the first one--that this was Bella's story. Kristen really seemed to get comfortable with this role, with Bella in New Moon, and I really felt her pain. That sounds so incredibly cheesy of me, but I really did. I was on the verge of tears when Edward broke up with her. Not this kind of emotion when I read the book, let me tell you. She acted it so well I was beside myself. You understand, if you didn't already, how much of a devastation this is for her. Even writing about it now, and thinking about that scene makes my eyes teary again.

There were the right amount of romantically painful (if not painfully romantic), scenes...

but one of my favorite, if not in my favorite, scene in New Moon is between Bella and Laurent. Right when he is about to kill her, Bella closes her eyes and says, "Edward, I love you." It was such a small moment, but it gripped me right in my heart. To love someone so much that your final thought towards death was to express that love? Thank you, Melissa Rosenberg, for doing such a fine job with the screenplay.

That scene where Aro sees Alice's vision of Bella and with Edward as vampire? When the sunlight glimmers her face--oh, so ethereal, magical. It gave me goosebumps of anticipation for Breaking Dawn.

And that ending? "Marry me?" There was an audience squee-off and when it cut right to the credits, a collaborative gasp and applause. Perfect, perfect high-note ending.

If Twilight and New Moon were my children, I wouldn't be able to say I loved one more than the other because they are both so different and capture different stories. I am just so pleased that both movies hit their marks for me. I cannot wait to see New Moon again this weekend.

I wish I could meet Kristen just so I could tell her that I think she did an unbelievably, unfathomably beautiful portrayal of Bella in this movie. She literally had moments that physically took my breath away.

There's so much more I want to discuss, but I can't even think straight right now without getting all flustered as I remembe the movie. I'll have to leave it at this for now, otherwise there's a very good chance someone will walk in on me at this moment and ask me if I'm all right.

New Moon was so much more than I even anticipated. I have this unfounded need to talk to someone about this movie, but it has to be with people that care just as much about this whole thing because I can't just hear, "Jacob's body is HOT!" or "OMG Edward, take it off!" That's just not what makes this movie. If anyone has the same needs, send me an email or a message because I'd love to hear your thoughts too!

Comment by Amy May Cullen on November 20, 2009 at 12:12pm: i think that way too. u absolutly right ^^ i went at the 4p.m. show on 19th here in greece with my mom and she always tease me that she don´t like the movies i make her watch but this time even she liked it as she did with twilight allthough she would never admit it lol my favrite sene is that vision of alice but im not such a fan of the clothes i mean they look old and something that someone would were in a few years u know what i mean. also i was wondering were that dream scene was that one with the pics of bella in her bed and the wolve and the mirror. i also like how chris made the scene with months passes after edwards leaves.they are many more i can´t thing right now i only saw it once and its not really saved in my memories i didn´t even realize that it leaste 2 hours for me it was kinda shorter lol ^^

Comment by erama on November 20, 2009 at 12:23pm: Wow!!! I haven´t seen the movie yet, cause it doesn´t open in my country until the 27th, so i still have a few days to go, but let me tell you, you just made more eager for it, if possible!!! loved your blog!!

Comment by djenkie on November 20, 2009 at 12:29pm: Amen!! I could not have said it better. I fully agree with you. I wish I could meet Kristen and say thank you for making Bella come to life. I could tell through all the press interviews her passion and deep thought into Bella's character. OMG the bad dreams she was having with the screaming....seriously that was great. You could totally tell the pain she was in. And the months pasting sequence was just wonderful. She did an amazing job. I could not be happier with the work she did in NM. She fully rocked this movie. Kudos to her. Chris' twist on things really made a beautiful movie. I HATE reading bad stuff about the the movie because it lived up to all MY expectations!! Thanks for your thoughts and listening to mine.

Comment by sparkletwilight on November 20, 2009 at 1:15pm: @Amy, that's so funny. My Bestie who I mentioned in the post, and her mother are Greek. Her mother hasn't read the books and it was her first time seeing Twilight last night before she saw New Moon, and she love loved it. At the end, she was like WOW and she seemed already excited to see Eclipse! My mom's read all the books countless times (even more than me!), and she told my friends mom that she had to read the books too. My friend is trying to get them in Greek for her but they are so expensive here in the US! Oh and about that dream sequence, you're right! Maybe it'll be in the DVD extras?! Wow, can't wait till that rolls around probably sometime in March.

@erama, Thank you! You're in for such an experience when you finally get to see this movie! Really. And then you must share your thoughts too!

@djenkie You just put my thoughts into one concise paragraph lol. I can't even bother reading the "critic" reviews or listen to regular people say bad, and rather superficial, critiques about this movie. It's like, forget the fact that this is a huge blowout phenomenon, and just remember that this is a deep story about, yes, human, emotions. Who cannot relate to that? Apparently people that just think this's a kid's movie about buff werewolves and sparkly vampires. I loved every scene Kristen did, the nightmares were so well done and actually conveyed the depth of Edward's departure and the end where she told the Volturi to take her instead, she really just lifted Bella off the pages of the book for me, except multiply the emotions by 100!

Comment by Sparkle Farts♥ on November 20, 2009 at 2:37pm: that is exactly how i feel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Kristen was mind blowing and taylor was THE PERFECT jacob!!!!!!!!!!
the vision of bella as a vampire gave me goosebumps!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhh it was sooooo freaking good♥♥
it was sooooo much better then i could have imangined!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
melissa did SUCH a good job! and before, i had my doubts about chris, but after this, all i have to say is, high five man, high five!!!!
All the pain and love and loneyness was perfect and very true to the book!!!!!!!!!
Even though i was looking forward to see Alice steal the porsche, every single part of the movie i LOVED!!!! Man...........................whoever is taylors personal trainer.......................woooooo......dang! The scene in the rain was beautifully done!!!! When jacob and edward were about to fight and bella gets in between them and says "its him, its always been him." was sooooo sad!!!!
the ending, where edward says marry me bella and then it goes to bellas face and then it cuts off and goes to the credits, i screamed sooooooooooooooooooooooo loud!!!!!!!!!!
Perfect movie, VERY true tothe book, and amazing acting by everyone!!!!!
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh only 220 more days!!!!!!!!!!!!
New Moon is the best freaking movie EVER!!!!!!!!!!!

Comment by backupStew on November 21, 2009 at 5:43am: I agree with every single word you wrote, omg Kristen is so freaking amazing in New Moon!
OMG alice's vision is heaven I was like omfg omfg*screaming* that couldnt be better. I loved the meadow scene with laurent, how he keeps getting closer, Bella's last words. s*** love it!

Comment by Amy May Cullen on November 21, 2009 at 6:01am: lol ^^yeah i thing my mom will like eclipse more then new moon she is more the action fan u know lol
i hope the dvd comes soon can´t wait if u see these pics and then no show in the movie u know there has to be something in the deleted scene i love theose ^^ i don´t the prices in the usa i mean dollar but here they are always 20-25 euros when they are new after a time they get cheaper like 16-18 euro. i was leaving in germany till 2007 so i have them in german but i bought breaking dawn in greek^^

Comment by sparkletwilight on November 21, 2009 at 8:23am: @Amy, yeah then I think its the same price. They sell in Greek here for like 40-50 US dollars! My mom has the Chinese version and they cost about 20-30 US dollars a book, so we have two sets in our house English and Chinese lol. You mom's a bigger fan than you?! Actually my mom is pretty intense about it too!

@Carola, omg isn't it so exciting even when you try to write about it?! I have to go see it again like, TODAY

@Sparkle LOL I love your enthusiasm for the movie and Kristen!!! Especially the end, I couldn't believe the ending! I knew it was coming but wow!