In defiance of all that is "Twilight" I decided to watch a REAL vampire movie, one that has just been released but stands absolutely no chance against the legions of wildly insane "Twilight" fans, who can all just bite me. I'll stop there, as my disdain for the whole affair could probably fill a book. But no, instead of rambling on, I will instead review a vampire film that stands so far above "Twilight" that it makes this geeky chick all warm and happy inside.
Prepare yourselves, "Twilight" fans, this movie has SUBTITLES....ooooooh, I know, positively frightening. Okay, alright, I swear that's the last of the digs. "Let the Right One In" is a Swedish film that is gorgeous, haunting, bloody and yet, still at heart, a story about childhood, friendship, and that first feeling of love we all experienced when we were stuck in between being a kid and being a teenager.
It follows the story of Oskar, a 12-year-old kid who is tormented by bullies and dreams of revenge. A mysterious girl, Eli, moves in next door, a girl who seems to not feel the cold, and has a way of appearing out of thin air. The two strike up a friendship, and as events unfold, we discover that the fates of these two are entwined, with bloodily good results. It turns out that Eli is a vampire, and when her "caretaker" of sorts meets his end, her friendship with Oskar becomes much more.
The only drawback to the film is that is moves verrrry slowly, with spurts of violence and action, but for someone like me, who values substance above all else, the pace of the film fits the progression of the story perfectly. The cinematography is STUNNING, and the settings of the frozen Swedish country give the whole film a very crisp, cold, feel. The ending of the film is especially arresting, and I pretty much felt as if I had been tossed into some of the icy waters that run through this movie.
The film has already been slated for an American remake with the director of "Cloverfield" set to helm...the two films are literally at opposite ends of the spectrum cinematically, so I really have no clue how that's gonna work...
Anyways...again, "Twilight", bite me. I'll stick with quality...
