Python Hyena Twilight (1998): Dir: Robert Benton / Cast: Paul Newman, Gene Hackman, James Garner, Susan Sarandon, Reese Witherspoon: Paul Newman plays a retired detective who tracks down an actor's daughter. Couple years later he is staying with the cancer burdened actor and his manipulating wife. Soon he is involved in a mystery of murder, blackmail and incidents of the past. Interesting setup has loopholes when factoring ages of particular characters. Director Robert Benton does a superb job. Principal actors are on target including Newman whose career is hindered after a gun shot wound. Now he ventures into territory that is forbidden and dangerous. Gene Hackman plays his friend with cancer who sets up the investigation by hiring Newman only to discover things that he wished he hadn't. Susan Sarandon plays the seductive wife who tempts Newman and toys with the mystery. James Garner also appears in the investigation and although the role isn't as broad as it should be, it is pivotal. Reese Witherspoon is featured as the teenager whom Newman is assigned to locate. Convincing her go go along results in a leg injury and a lot of cynicism. The purpose is to recapture the feeling of old film noir and it rightfully claims this through superb veteran actors who are well into their twilight years. Fine plot twists carry it into the limelight while the narrative heads for a dark tunnel. Score: 9 / 10

Rodrigo Amaro Heavyweight stars working on a weightless plot yet doing some good for us and themselves. That can be said of many movies and also about "Twilight". No, this isn't Team Edward or Team Jacob, it's a film noir about wrapped in secrets, ghosts from the past and some skeletons in the closet (more like on a swimming pool!). On the front seat of this we have the team Paul Newman and director Robert Benton, re-teaming after the successful "Nobody's Fool"; and the amazing passengers of this are Susan Sarandon, Gene Hackman, James Garner, Stockard Channing, Giancarlo Esposito, Reese Witherspoon, Liev Schreiber, John Spencer, Margo Martindale and M. Emmet Walsh (horribly reduced to a pivotal role but with no speaking lines). Newman plays Harry, a veteran private detective in the twilight of his career and years, decadent and living of favors in the house of Jack Ames, a dying veteran actor (Hackman) and his wife (Sarandon), also an actress, doing some jobs here and there for them, covering up their dirt. Then, during one of those "jobs", after almost getting killed by another detective, he decides to check out what's behind the many out-coming mysteries which are appearing on his way, things that might have to do with his past and also things from the past of his bosses/friends. Favorable point for him: the unusual help of a sidekick (Esposito) - in terms of script kind of strange but it works well. Low point for him: flames getting higher between him and Ames wife; her brat daughter (Witherspoon) whose purpose is to put the man down just because she doesn't like him, due to an incident involving her boyfriend (Schreiber). Fine movie but quite cheap if you think about all the elements involved. Quite simplified as noir don't tend to be, convoluted in so many dialogs and never all that interesting or clever, "Twilight" begs for our attention but doesn't give much in return. When you see the mystery close of getting solved, already figuring out who's the bad guy, you end up asking yourself "Why should I care about this story?". Well, you should care but the movie doesn't impels you in such direction. You're there for the actors and that sometimes works replacing the excitement, the thrills, the action, everything that is missing here. While it feeds us with Newman giving an outstanding performance, it doesn't offer much when it comes to show the other actors, most of them reduced to a few scenes (Garner stands out with perfection though). Once again we see Newman's character trying to show he can hit the top of his craft even though he's not fast and younger as before, realizing that things have changed but he still can find a way to do something. But he played this several times before and in better projects ("The Verdict", "Nobody's Fool" and his Oscar winning Eddie Felson in "The Color of Money"). Sarandon brings lots of sensuality in her role but at times it seems director Benton and his writing partner Richard Russo are forcing things far too much when it comes to presenting those sexy moments. Hackman was a little underused in this, but presents some class act during his first scenes. Conclusion: it's not fun as it could and should be but it's watchable. Rare times a good team like this were gathered and could make something decent out of a movie. 7/10

Cihan "Sean Victorydawn" Vercan (CihanVercan) 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.

bkoganbing Twilight casts Paul Newman as a former police detective, former private detective now living as a family retainer to glamorous movie star couple Gene Hackman and Susan Sarandon. He's living with them because he was hurt on the job when after being hired to bring back their daughter Reese Witherspoon from running away with Liev Schreiber, Reese accidentally shoots Newman. Don't ask for the circumstances, they have to be seen.Anyway because of what Reese did, Newman is living with her family and one day, he's asked to deliver a package by Hackman to a woman. At the location he finds a fatally shot M. Emmett Walsh still able to shoot at Newman. That sends the whole plot starting which involves the disappearance of a prominent actor and Sarandon's former husband twenty years before.Imagine Philip Marlowe now middle-aged, but entering senior citizenry and you've got Paul Newman in this part. Actually Newman was 74 when he did this role, but could have passed for a dozen years younger. Better still imagine Newman's own Harper which he did in two films and you have a better example.Director Robert Benton assembled a really crackerjack cast in support of those already mentioned. Keep note for James Garner as another retired cop turned private eye, though someone nothing like Jim Rockford, Stockard Channing as Newman's former partner at the LAPD, John Spencer as Channing's boss who would like some explanations as some bodies start to pile up around Newman.Most of all note Margo Martindale who was the woman Newman was supposed to deliver the package to. Note her relationship, personal and professional to at least one other of the cast members. It's a really touching performance of a lonely and frustrated woman.Up to the end of his life, the quality of Paul Newman's work never went down even if he did a clunker or two among his films. Twilight is a perfect example of what I just said.