Editorial: ‘Remember Me’ A Note to Reviewers (SPOILERS!)

“The film’s poster shows the sweethearts clutched in a passionate embrace with the cryptic tagline: “Live in the moments.”

What it doesn’t tell you: the moments this movie is living in is the summer of 2001, and September 11 figures prominently in the final scenes. When the Twin Towers are hit—we never see an airplane crash, just the debris—it’s a complete shock that will leave you sad and stunned for days.

But if you think about it, wasn’t that the way we all felt after September 11? The attack was completely unexpected, just like the conclusion of this movie. Other films about September 11 (World Trade Center, United 93) have presented their grim subject matter from the very start, in every TV ad and theatrical trailer. Remember Me is targeted to a different demographic: teenage girls, many of whom were very young in 2001. For them, September 11 is probably a distant memory or maybe even just a lesson in a history book, especially for kids who didn’t live in New York or Washington. Given that measure, this movie accurately depicts the horror, danger, grief, rage, meaninglessness, and brutality of that day. It actually honors history, albeit in a strange and unsettling way.”