Let Me In

[Beate]

How ever so strange to see a preview for this at Picturehouses this Sunday! I had seen something about a Members' Free Preview on my newsletter but assumed they had made a typo as they already have a Members' Free Preview of My Afternoons with Margueritte on exactly the same date and time!

[Beate]

How absolutely peculiar. I have just called the Greenwich PH and they have indeed two free previews at the same time this Sunday! What's the point in that? Luckily I have seen Let Me In already.

[ClareCc]

I just saw this movie last night. It's absolutely bollocks!
You are better off renting a decent dvd movie instead.

I can't see why they come out with this movie..for the sake of joining the vampire hype?

[TheyCallMeMrGlass]

I'll be at the Brixton Ritzy showing today this morning, wearing my newly received fmuk badge from Steve. Anyone else going to this screen? Love this cinema, with its cafeteria, bar and theatre style interior. A local one to me that I go to often.

[alythonian]

Just back from the Edinburgh screening which was an 11.30 start rather tan the 11 per the ticket.

It was about 80% full.

I enjoyed it as did OH who usually hates horror films. I'd read about it being the first film made since they reinvented Hammer films, and it was done in the true spirit of a Hammer Horror I think and we both really enjoyed it particularly as there was not too much gore.

The two child leads really were excellent.

7.5/10 from me.

Also some good trailers shown this morning for upcoming films which looked good (unlike the one for Gullivers Travels which is annoying me into not wanting to see the film!!!)

[kevinknapman]

I really liked this. Surprisingly I wasn't overly bothered by how much of the original book failed to make this version (even more so than the first adaptation). I'm usually quite critical when quite big changes are made but I actually felt they benefited the central relationship between the two children. Also the introduction of a detective character (not present in either the book or the first film) actually corrected something that bugged me about the first film, the complete lack of a police presence. Making the other inhabitants of the housing complex only 'Rear Window' style minor characters that Owen spies on with his telescope actually worked here and at least spared us the slightly dodgy cat attack.

The two mains leads were excellent. Kodi Smit-Mcphee in particular was very impressive. And unsurprisingly there was solid support from two of the best character actors currently working today, Elias Koteas and Richard Jenkins. Pity poor Cara Buono though as Owen's Mother. She probably thought she'd landed a pretty good job as she's in quite a few scenes but director Matt Reeves chose to never actually show her properly. She's either out of focus or off-screen. I can only assume Reeves did this in order to heighten the sense of isolation and loneliness that Owen feels, which makes the relationship with Abby feel more important. In that sense it's a decision that proves to be quite effective.

Visually it looks pretty striking too, with some very impressive set pieces. The swimming pool scene at the end was as effective as it was the first time.

Let Me In isn't perfect however. It's a little too slow in some places, some of the CGI when Abby attacks seemed a little unnecessary and it is slightly disappointing that they don't make more of the ambiguous gender of Abby (Book spoiler below) [spoiler]In the book she actually turns out to be a castrated male[/spoiler]
Also despite claiming this is an adaptation of the book not the first film, some scenes and shots do seem to be very similar to the original film.
Overall though I think this is a very accomplished film and not the remake disaster that some had predicted. I haven't seen Let the Right One in since I saw it at the cinema last year, so I don't really want to say one is better than the other but I think this new version more than holds it's own against the Swedish version.

[tibba]

I loved this film. Brilliantly executed, imo.

[Beate]

http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/films/let-m ... 34924.html

[soonforgotten]

http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/films/let-m ... 34924.html

While I agree Let Me In is less subtle, I'm not sure how it's less complex than LTROI. I think LMI did a lot of things better than the original and I don't think that leaving out the gender issue somehow makes it less complex. Especially given that LTROI barely touches upon that.

[Preston1990]

My third (and last) film of the day at Boldon Cineworld.

I thought it was a great piece of moody and atmospheric entertainment. Full marks to the two young leads Kodi Smit-McPhee and Chloe Moretz as Owen and Abby. I liked the portrayal of their slowly and awkwardly (at first) developing friendship shown alongside their individually troubled and insular backgrounds. The school bullying episodes had a nicely realistic feel to them too.

I can't help but feel that this film will be yet another triumph, in an increasingly long string of successes for Moretz. She certainly looks set to become a very hot property in the near future.

8.5 out of 10.