kilmorekat Reviews

Let the Right One In (2008)

Light! Bite! Right!

[9/10 · 17 April 2009]

The land of eternal sunshine and perpetual darkness provides a totally original and highly appropriate setting for this post-modern take on the tired, tired, undead vampire genre. The Gothic motifs are revisited in a vivid and original manner and those gory old vampire clichés are given new life, by transposing Eastern European mythology to the fresh, clean snowfields of Scandanavia, and by focusing the narrative on an innocent and troubled pair of blood-crossed adolescents.

'You would like to kill if you could, but I kill because I have to.' Excuse the bad translation. Thus is the response when Eli the vampire refers to her first meeting with Oskar the troubled boy, when he fantasizes about stabbing the boys who are bullying him at school. Humans have free will and vampires are compelled to follow their instinct.

The Swedish snowfields and their brilliant luminosity provide a stunning backdrop to a tale of darkness; blood has never looked so black on pristine, white snow.

Rarely does a film capture the spontaneity, laughter, joy, disappointment, fear, lightness, and deep, deep seriousness of being a child. Such is the quality of the acting.

'Let The Right One In' is a beautifully-paced tale full of sadness and joy, and an invigorating bite in the jugular to a tired old genre.

Damien: Omen II (1978)

Don't do Damien

[1/10 · 25 October 2008]

When I was thirteen, a long, long time ago, this movie inspired me to read the Bible, it made me think Iron Maiden's 'Number of the Beast' was a work of genuine prophecy. I, slightly disappointedly, failed to discover any numbers in my scalp. This film scared me and inspired me.

I've just revisited it, more than thirty years later, and, oh my God, why, why, why, why, why? The thirteen-year-old I watched it with fell asleep. My immediate reaction was that horror dates, but 'Psycho' hasn't dated, and 'The Exorcist' hasn't dated.

Bad films date. Don't watch this. Life is short, particularly since there is a raven staring at me now in a malevolent fashion. I'll be dead soon.

Ratcatcher (1999)

Kiesloskwi has an heir

[14 February 2004]

Fantastic. I'm reminded of Kieslowski, before he got budgets and beautiful actresses (which is fine, they were gorgeous). The depiction of slum living as beautiful cinematically is a risky approach, but she pulls it off with aplomb. This film is great not because of its story but its images. The young kid staring out the window of the newly-constructed houses at the field of barley is utter beauty, I was reminded of Malick. The depiction of a young boy is superb, that child is a brilliant actor, watch the way he changes his walk when he's with the older, idiot, desensitised boys. And the mouse floating off to the moon on a helium balloon, surrealism lives, low budget FX and all, risky, works brilliantly, brought down to earth with 'But you killed him, Kenny.' No one who was ever a child and who enjoys brilliant cinematography will fail to enjoy this splendid film.

Nostalghia (1983)

Pure art house cinema

[1 November 2003]

What a strange film, utterly lacking in narrative, self-indulgent, in a sense tedious, but I sat transfixed for two hours. Someone once described cinema as 'painting with light' and there isn't a single shot in this movie you wouldn't have been proud to photograph. It's utterly beautiful. You don't engage with it as you would with a regular movie, you just sit back and let the images wash over you, frankly I could have watched with the sound off and the subtitles off. I'm lying about the sound. Tarkovsky is a genius for dripping water. The switch between film stock is incredible, the sepia is some of the most breath-taking cinematography I have ever seen. This is pure art house cinema in all its gorgeous, pretentious grandeur.