James Garner  : Raymond Hope

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A Highly professionnal piece of work

Author: Cajun-4 from Toronto, Canada
24 January 1999
 

This movie didn't do well with the critics or at the box office but if you're in a nostalgic mood I'll think you'll enjoy it. The nostalgia is not just for the stars, Newman, Hackforth and Garner but for the whole private eye genre of the forties. All three stars show why they have been tops for so long. At 73 Newman can still make the action and the sex scenes creditable. It gives new hope to men of a certain age everywhere! It is a film that probably plays better on TV than in a movie house. The pace is leisurely but there is some nice sharp dialogue and atmospheric camera work. All this plus a moody score by Leonard Bernstein make for a highly professional entertainment. The more I think about it the more I like it.

Author: Robert D. Ruplenas
20 April 1999

With all the action-schlock movies coming out of Hollywood, and all the obsession with special effects, it is nice to have a movie about real characters with some real acting. This is a great cast with Newman in his usual fine form, and Hackman, Sarandon, and Garner reminding us what real acting is all about. I don't know why this film reminded me of L.A.Confidential in the story line, but this film's characters have depth and texture, unlike the cardboard cutouts of that movie. The gritty plot, about past crime, betrayal, friendship, and loyalty, is not without its moments of sardonic humor, and Elmer Bernstein, who has been around forever, still churns out a great score. A grownup movie for grownups.

Author: smatysia (feldene@comcast.net) from Houston
3 June 2002

I really liked this film, even though I never heard of it until it was on cable. I was afraid at the start that Newman was going to recycle his curmudgeon character from "Nobody's Fool" but instead he played a very different richly complex character. Kudos also to the rest of the nearly all-star cast. One important plot element absolutely jumped out at me, even though none of the characters seemed to notice, but aside from that I have no complaints. Reese Witherspoon was particularly beautiful here. Grade: A

Author: Stephen-12 from London, England
4 January 1999

This won't ever be anyone's favourite movie. It sets its sights fairly low, so it doesn't have any difficulty in hitting its targets. Nevertheless, it will trump many other thrillers simply because of the sheer professionalism of its cast. Esposito is an irritation and Liev Schreiber is fantastically dull as ever, but the real joy comes from seeing the old pros, Newman, Hackman, Sarandon, Channing and Garner doing their thing. Authority oozes from the screen whenever any one of them is on, which fortunately is nearly all the time. Hackman is particularly fine, especially considering he has virtually nothing to do.

Senior tough guys

Have you ever imagined what would happen to Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe lived to be seventy? A genuine hard-boiled detective film forty years later. The myth behind Newman's accident is hilarious. A must see!

In a world where sex, violence, and sleaze in movies seems to dominate, it is refreshing to find a film that is the caliber of movies made from a much earlier decade, when cinema was intended to be a work of art. You could not ask for a better cast than in this movie. All are very well-respected for their acting abilities and their professional demeanor. The score is excellent; the story line captivating. Paul Newman is indeed more than believable in his role as a sexy, no-nonsense gumshoe. Susan Sarandon is sultry in the style of Susan Hayward and Lauren Bacall. Gene Hackman is, well, Gene Hackman. I only wish there were more movies coming out of Hollywood of this nature.

Author: dick-53 from Atherton, CA
25 December 1998

Didn't expect much because of the cool reception by critics(esp.Ebert),but was very pleasantly surprised. The acting, writing, and photography are first rate.Was glad to see Richard Russo's film writing come off so well. This is worth renting!

Author: Marat Parkhomovsky from Tel Aviv, Israel
6 March 1999

This may be one of the most underrated movies ever. Robert Benton's sharp, smart, moving and funny tribute to the "film noire" genre was undeservingly scolded by most of the critics and it is a real shame. "Twilight" is one of a few movies I saw this year, that reminds us the taste of a really good cinema. It stars a team of Hollywood's greatest stars, it has a truly great script, it's relatively short (and you will be sorry it ended that fast) and it is a total enjoyment for any movie lover. And if it's not enough, there is an incredibly hot sex scene with an amazingly sexy Rhis Witherspoon. You shouldn't miss that, I guarantee you.

Author: Cihan Sean Victorydawn Vercan (CihanVercan) from Ottawa, Canada
22 December 2009

The late actor Paul Newman portrays a fly in the ointment, the anti-hero version of Dick Tracy, herein Twilight. I've read some reviews of people wondering why widely acclaimed filmmaker Robert Benton has made this movie. A short answer: To provide screen experience to new starlets with veteran actors.

There are 3 of those starlets in this film. First one is Reese Witherspoon. 1998 was an important milestone for her. She's been busy whole year long with Pleasantville and Overnight Delivery. Through 1998 summer she played in Twilight, thus she has bold scenes with Liev Schreiber. Even though she has a cameo role as Mel Ames in the film, her role includes the only nudity content of her box-office movies career. Yet, Twilight features its queen Susan Sarandon. For me, this is Sarandon's third best after Atlantic City and White Palace. She comes out of pool, starts walking in Eve outlook, looking for her Adam, then Newman comes by.

The second starlet is Liev Schreiber. He plays Mel's date at Mexico. While Mel lies naked on a couch, she asks him "Do you love me?". He keeps his silence a bit while staring at her tits, and hinders himself from replying "No, I just love your tits". Thankfully Mel speaks before him: "I mean it doesn't really matter you love me or not". If all the movie critics thought the same way that Robert Benton has written the worst script of his life, they might be right.

The third starlet is Patrick Malone. If you read this review right now, and don't know who Patrick Malone is, it's because herein Twilight he wasted his chance of a lifetime due to his imitation of Will Smith. A young actor in Hollywood must not copy other actors of same career level. I actually liked Malone's harmony with Newman playing his partner, if only he could have played his own style. He was one of the supporting actors in Lawrence Kasdan's Grand Canyon(1991).

Even though the cast is rich on paper, the whole plot is turning around Paul Newman. No one is able to come closer to him, and he acts only with his self-belief. From my point of view, the main issue is not the script nor the cheapness of the story telling methods. Nobody but Benton and Newman, is in the mood of making a movie. Gene Hackman, James Garner, Stockard Channing spoil the story. So many stars make it darker. Only Newman and Sarandon could have been enough to fill the cast, since the storyline is so simple.

The script is weak but the acting is another story. What a cast, even if Newman is getting a little long in the tooth to be playing a P.I. Hackman, Garner and Sarandan are all very watchable as a trio of conniving types hiding a deep, dark, 20-year-old secret. You can pretty much guess what it is early on, but the reason for seeing this thriller is not for the plot but to watch four veterans in action.

Allez on va laisser les jeunots s'extasier sur Reese Witherspoon (que je trouve totalement insignifiante comme actrice...sur tous les plans...Je l'ai apprécié dans PLEASANTVILLE ainsi que Tobbey Mc Guire mais pour ces deux là en ce qui me concerne RIDEAU!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119594/reviews?start=10

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:

Film Noir redux

Author: Wryter47-1 from Buenos Aires, Argentina
15 May 2007

Perhaps it's 'cause I'm pushing 65, but this film just grabbed me from the start. Besides the fact that all the key actors are "seniors," or almost, they got all my buttons pushed from the start. Having been an NYPD auxiliary for several years and getting to hang around with the "real" cops, I saw a lot of the cynical stuff but a surprising amount of "the real stuff" too. This film reflected that -- world-weary but hanging in there -- and within that framework it was interesting to see the plot develop. The whole mood of the film struck me as dead on, and I'm one who usually doesn't like many films. It struck me as exactly on par in the 90s with some of the best noir films of generations past. Nine and maybe even 10. Thanks.

Author: Jugu Abraham (jugu_abraham@yahoo.co.uk) from Trivandrum, Kerala, India
15 December 2001

Most critics wrote off the film because of the poor script and the lackluster direction. Yes, it is true that an average viewer should be able to spot the villain, well before the ex-cop and ex-private investigator does so in the film by comparing life-styles. But that is what young audiences will look for in the movie. What I liked about the script were the subtle dialogues ranging from Samuel Johnson misquotes to acerbic one-liners that developed each of the characters slowly. Take the misty-eyed Lt. Verna (Stockard Channing) greeting Ross as an old acquaintance and then closing the dialogue with the icy "Cuff him!" to the arresting officers. You have an extra-ordinary script here and everywhere in the film.

This film is not action-packed; it is heavy on dialogue requiring a mature mind to take in the clever character buildup. Sarandon's character, in particular, was well developed leading to a charming finale.Benton never appealed to me as a great director; nonetheless this film's strength lies in his script (co-scripted by Russo), a thoroughly delightful cast ensemble, and a notable camerawork by Sobocinsky.Finally, I thought the film's name was a wonderful and appropriate selection.

Author: jotix100 from New York
5 June 2005

Robert Benton, an otherwise excellent film director, must not have been too inspired with this film, and it shows! Every element that went into it should have produced an interesting film, after all, this was the second collaboration between Mr. Benton and Richard Russo, a wonderful writer on his own right. Unfortunately, there are no sparks in this slow evolving take on deceit and an unsolved crime in L.A.

The opening scenes are deceiving because they take place in Puerto Vallarta. We see Harry Ross, a private investigator, going to the rescue of a rich girl, Mel Ames. Mel is a gorgeous creature that is seen in all her glory, and it seems to have been planned that way in order to hook the viewer into staying for the rest of the story. Alas, beautiful Mel goes straight and is only seen in a couple of other scenes! We lose, that's all!

As a film noir, there are too many things that don't make sense in "Twilight". The film is not a complete waste, although the pace, being slow, doesn't add anything to the story, or the way we feel after sitting through it after a while.Paul Newman makes an interesting appearance as Harry. James Garner, another great personality, does the best with the small part of Raymond Hope. Susan Sarandon is mysterious and secretive as Catherine and Gene Hackman doesn't have much to do. Reese Witherspoon, making her screen debut, is lovingly captured by the camera.

Stockard Channing, one of the best stage and film actress working in films today, is wasted. Giancarlo Esposito is the only one that brings a badly needed comic relief to the movie. M. Emmet Walsh, Liev Schrieber, Margo Martindale, and John Spencer play minor roles.While the film is far from horrible, but it requires a lot of patience from the viewer. The crisp cinematography by Piotr Sobocinski gives the film a beautiful patina. Also the moody music score of Elmer Bernstein and the production design of David Gropman, contribute to make the film appear much better than it is.(c'est vrai que la musique aide bien)

Author: mike dewey from canton, ohio
16 February 2007

As my summary title suggests, I found this to be an enjoyable "reunion" movie, not only in reference to the reuniting of old star favorites getting together for old times' sake to make a film, but also because the screenplay is about old Hollywood cronies from yesteryear getting involved in some updated and dicey melodrama.

The interplay amongst the "old guard" is highly entertaining. Newman, Hackman, Garner, Channing and Sarandon provide sophisticated and amusing banter. Although Ms. Sarandon and Channing are somewhat younger than the aforementioned actors, they blend in with the "boys" smoothly. The talents of the supporting cast, Liev, Reese, Giancarlo and "mucho"(Margo Martindale) are not lost either. The depth and intricacy of the story line does not suffer as a result of the cute and witty banter: rather, the humor augments the tone and helps to set the stage for the evolving dramatic plot twists.

I would be remiss to exclude lauding the hauntingly beautiful and appropriate soundtrack and recurring theme by Elmer Bernstein. His contribution is as important to the subtlety and color of the story line as any cast member's.Although all the characters shine in this Hollywood detective escapade, Mr. Garner shines the brightest in his sardonically gritty role, even in its more limited time allotment.A good flick to catch, especially if you like the subtlety of substance over form!

I saw this at the theater and recently rented it for another look. This film takes its time spinning out the story and developing characters. In addition to the leads there are fine supporting performances as well. Giancarlo Esposito, Liev Schreiber, Margo Martindale and of course, Stockard Channing all have moments in the film that are little gems. Break out the popcorn, sit back, put your feet up and let this movie draw you in.

Author: bucco from florida
26 May 1999

Lots of people will sit through a well-known symphony, already knowing how the tune goes, but not minding because they want to see how this particular orchestra will play it.The same goes for "Twilight." We've all heard this tune. The fun is watching how the Newman-Hackman-Sarandon-Garner orchestra will play it.
For my money, they can sure carry a tune.

Author: runamokprods from US
30 January 2012

I found this story of an aging private eye (Paul Newman in yet another terrific late-career performance), and his aging friends, lovers and clients (Gene Hackman, Susan Sarandon, James Garner, all doing admirable work) touching, sweet, funny, sad, and an enjoyable noir mystery to boot.Its not that the plotting is that brilliant, or the story that novel, but this is really more about the characters than the mystery anyway. Its about aging and loss and trying to hold onto your pride and self-esteem in the face of the indignities later life. In all that it has much in common with Benton"s earlier, very good "Late Show", but for me this had even more depth and resonance (perhaps reflective of Benton"s own aging?).

great cast

Author: KyleFurr2 from United States
3 September 2005

This movie has an amazing cast and the same director who also directed Nobody's Fool. Paul Newman plays a private detective who in the first scene is in Mexico looking for an underage Reese Witherspoon and she winds up shooting him right in his leg next to his pecker and there is a rumor that she actually shot it off. Witherspoon is the daughter of two old movie stars played by Gene Hackman, who is dying of cancer, and Susan Sarandon. They are letting Newman stay at their mansion and even though Newman is basically retired, Hackman gives him some money to give to a lady and he winds up being shot at by a dying man. The mystery is actually a little disappointing but it has a great cast that also includes Stockard Channing and James Garner.

Author: FISHER L. FORREST (fisherforrest@sprintmail.com) from Jacksonville, Oregon, USA
3 July 2000

But for the choppy editing this would be a top-notch color "film noir". Its socio-political message couldn't be clearer or more to the point. Some "important" people are so convinced that whatever they do is right, that their conduct amounts to group sociopathy. The crime story is interesting as it supports this theme, but the ultimate "solution" should not be too much of a surprise. The private detectives are a broad spectrum of types: very competent but world weary, incompetent but enthusiastic, venal losers, venal winners (after a fashion). The official police are a mixed bag too, but presented as mostly honest if not always too eager to press on the "important" people. There are some bad apples, though. In short, the film is a lot like life. There's great cast work by the principals and good color camera work to match the "noir" genre.