Remy – Only Lovers Left Alive
First of all, I adore the work of the man who wrote and directed this film, Jim Jarmusch. Watch Broken Flowers with Bill Murray or Ghost Dog with Forest Whitaker to understand why. He makes moody films that are incredibly stylish and seeping with symbolism. He also has a slick sense of humor that he will dip in and out of his films without warning. Only Lovers Left Alive does all those things, and in the process, changed the way I look at vampire films.
This is a reinvention of the genre in many ways. These are not Twilight vampires. These are not 30 Days of Night vampires. These are humans who essentially have a disease. Moreso, an addiction to something they know they shouldn’t have. Is it a vampire film or the best heroin metaphor ever? Well, the final moments of the film clear that up for us.
Only Lovers Left Alive stars the enigmatic Tilda Swinton and the charismatic Tom Hiddleston as modern vampires, trying to survive without going full vamp. This means they survive on a synthetic blood (that is like smack to them), but this blood also keeps them from feeding on humans and bringing any attention to their kind.
Hiddleston plays Adam, a sort of Gothic Kurt Cobain who feels tortured by it all, and just seems like he wants it to end. On the other hand, you have Swinton playing Eve (note the names), who seems to take pleasure in what she is, though she does not feed her urges. Think about the cast alone for a second. Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston. If that does not make you want to see the movie, you mustn’t be a fan of film.
Like any good vampire movie, some things happen, some people get involved who shouldn’t, and things end up getting a bit messy. Keep in mind, this is not Stake Land. You will not be served gallons of blood and gore in this film. Rather, it builds to a rather fantastic conclusion, illuminated by the insanely good performances from the film’s stars.
Dare I say, best vampire film since Let The Right One In?
Yes, yes I do.
