The idea that all girls love romance films is a load of crap. Of all the subpar romantic comedies, romantic dramas and romantic dramedies, I like fewer than I can count on two hands. Ninety percent of them are cliched, predictable and just awful. So despite my love for Robert Pattinson (yes, one of those few romance movies I like is “Twilight”), I was worried that his latest film “Remember Me” would be just like any other romance movie: boy meets girl, girl plays hard to get for about a day, boy and girl embark on a whirlwind romance, boy and girl have some misunderstanding, boy and girl resolve misunderstanding and live happily ever after. To say “Remember Me” surprised me is an understatement.

“Remember Me” is about Tyler Hawkins (Pattinson) and Ally Craig (Emilie de Ravin of “Lost”), two young people who have both lost close members of their families and deal with it in different ways. Where Tyler is brooding and philosophical, Ally takes advantage of every day. Together, they find the balance that they need to be happy.

Although their story does hit some points of the aforementioned cliche romance plot, it does so with fully developed characters that are immensely likable and real. The characters, and the unexpected twists that vastly stray from the formulaic plot, make this movie leaps and bounds better than the run-of-the-mill Nicholas Sparks movies. What’s more surprising than how good this movie was is the ending, but I’m obviously not going to spoil it like other critics have already done.

Anyone who has seen Pattinson’s performance in the “Twilight” movies knows that he is no stranger to brooding; vampire Edward Cullen can be a bit of a mope. But as Tyler, Pattinson’s brooding is relatable and more authentic. He and the audience understand the pain of losing a loved one a lot more than they understand the pain of being a beautiful, graceful immortal. Despite the similarity in moods, never did I think “Oh hey, Eddie, why aren’t you sparkling in the sun?” These are two very different characters and Pattinson did Tyler justice and proved that he is more than Edward Cullen.

Something else that set this movie apart from other romantic movies is the depth of the supporting cast. Pierce Brosnan plays Charles, Tyler’s workaholic and detached father who bails Tyler out of jail twice, but still doesn’t really seem to know or like his son. Pattinson’s role as a brother to Tyler’s artistic little sister Caroline (Ruby Jerins) is as compelling as his role as a lover. Tyler is Caroline’s best friend and is there when their father is not. At first, Ally’s father Neil is a heartless cop, but later he’s just a protective father. All of these supporting characters have just as much of a story to tell as Tyler and Ally, and they get to tell them without taking away from the main story.

The script was well-written and for the most part, the lines were delivered appropriately, but unfortunately there were a few lines that were a little mumbled and hard to catch, probably the result of three key actors trading in their natural accents for American accents. No key lines were misunderstood and none of the mumbles led to huge confusion, but it did disrupt the flow of the movie when I’d occasionally have to ask my friend what was just said, only to be told she didn’t know either.

“Remember Me” is a special movie, a genuine piece of art very different from the manufactured products the Hollywood machine typically spews and labels romance. The message of living each day to the fullest and not letting life or love pass you by leaves the audience thinking about their own lives and how they can make them count.