Only Lovers Left Alive

[RAZORBACK]

Got stuck in traffic and ended up missing Tuesday night's screening , hopefully will get a chance to see it when it goes on general release next month ...

[moggers]

I seen lots of vampire films and TV series over the years but I still don't understand the gloves bit - can anyone tell me the significance of this please??

My take on it was that Eve and other vampires 'felt' things, the age of an instrument, the beauty of nature, how a person/vampire was feeling/emotions and the residue of humans when they touched something that had been held by human. So the gloves switched that off. Another hint at their sensitivity. Some vampire fiction hints at this.

[biggins]

I seen lots of vampire films and TV series over the years but I still don't understand the gloves bit - can anyone tell me the significance of this please??

My take on it was that Eve and other vampires 'felt' things, the age of an instrument, the beauty of nature, how a person/vampire was feeling/emotions and the residue of humans when they touched something that had been held by human. So the gloves switched that off. Another hint at their sensitivity. Some vampire fiction hints at this.

Good theory moggers - I can see what you are saying when they touched the instruments.

[umral]

I saw OLLA at a preview on January 28. Although the subject was different, the cinematography and - in particular - the pacing and wry humour were typical of Jarmusch. A few walk-outs, perhaps frustrated by the slow development, or the lack of gore. A broken-down Detroit was an imaginative location for a vampire lair. The shoehorned-in literary references grated after a while. As for performances: Tilda Swinton was as intense as hoped for. I think I've seen John Hurt play the ageing, winded roue once too often. But Tom Hiddleston as a posh centuries-old goth electronica wizard (think Jeremy Irons dressed as a cross between late-60s John Cale and Neil Young) was disastrous.

[RAZORBACK]

Finally got to see this and thought it was good rather than great.

Don't mind a slow paced film if it ends with a bang but in this case it was more of a whimper so despite me appreciating the characters, dialogue & visuals, I don't think this deserves anything more than a 7/10 from me...

[TheyCallMeMrGlass]

I thought this was a beautiful and slow burning drama depicting a moment in eternity of two vampire lovers drifting through a difficult era of humanity's gradual self destruction that somehow affects the vampires own survival.

Not a lot happens, this aint Twighlight, this is a film in which you simply drift along a gentle stream, albeit coloured red, like savouring every sip from a glass of purest uncontaminated blood which I hope you all have had many opportunities to indulge in. The two eternal lovers played by Swinton and Hiddleston are the most beautiful ethereal creatures of the night whom I can watch for an eternity. Swinton in particular is as ever, otherworldly attractive to watch and her performance is commanding yet sublime as the optimist half of their relationship, while Hiddleston is the polar opposite, rather moody pessimist. He retains the Loki long hair for that reclusive rock star look and will no doubt have his fans drooling...at least I thought he would but I see many of you ladies are not impressed! Why not? Well, to me I can clearly see he is a beautiful specimen which makes the couple evermore watchable together. Their chemistry is a strangely laconic one but deliberately so, with Swinton doing much of the work to keep the passion alive, it worked for me.

I love the underlying concept of the film. Being a health and fitness guru, I welcome the film's message about our poisonous diet of artificial additives in practically everything we eat. Poor vampires, what a difficult time they must be having these days.

Aside's from the elegance of the cast, the mood and beauty of the film is enriched by the wonderful camerawork and lighting making almost every scene a frameable work of art complemented with dreamlike electronic guitar music that is played throughout, another reason that makes this a film I could chill out many times with.

The ending was a good one but it could have ended two ways and I would have actually preferred the obvious alternate one. Both endings would work albeit each would have given a very different perspective on the couple's philosophy.

A few people did walk out of my screening which is understandable. I have read some of your posts and It seems extremely polarising. I see 1/10, 0/10 scores and wow, one of you even gave it a -3/10!

Well, I loved it, maybe because I can relate to vampires as I post this 2am in the morning. I will own this on Blu Ray and chill with it occasionally with a glass of fine blood in my hand. It gets an

8.5/10 from me :)

[The Sparrow]

What I really loved is that fact that I would have expected Tilda to be the moody one in the relationship with Tom being the more upbeat. Playing against type really worked for me.

[TheyCallMeMrGlass]

What I really loved is that fact that I would have expected Tilda to be the moody one in the relationship with Tom being the more upbeat. Playing against type really worked for me.

I don't really consider either actor to be trapped in a typecast though, Sparrow, as I see them both inhabiting very different characters in past movies but as you say, the roles they play here really worked for me too :)

I do feel vampirish at this hour now, so I best turn in. Oh I must make a note to b*y the soundtrack too.

[The Sparrow]

Maybe not typecast per se but Hiddleston is very upbeat in real life as can be evidenced by the relish he takes from his Loki persona in various youtibe videos plus his interviews whereas I do consider Tilda to be a darker character actor. Just how I perceive them maybe?

[TheyCallMeMrGlass]

Maybe not typecast per se but Hiddleston is very upbeat in real life as can be evidenced by the relish he takes from his Loki persona in various youtibe videos plus his interviews whereas I do consider Tilda to be a darker character actor. Just how I perceive them maybe?

I have no idea what they are like off the screen. Thing is as an actor, it is all about projecting different personalities anyway. Sure, some actors will always be deemed compatible for certain roles and not others but generally, an actor's ambition is to always widen his her range. That is their personal challenge. I love to see actors play different roles, challenge themselves and break the "typecast" stigma.

For instance, we know Harrison Ford to be the action hero but I love that he tries to break that barrier and chose unlikely roles. He's not always successful and frankly, he doesn't have a tremendous range but I still love to see him play different roles as I do with every actor and director.

In fact I hate when actors and directors stay in their comfort zone for most of their career. All too often I find myself sighing when an actor I like is just playing the same role. I hate that Tim Burton has never made an un-Tim Burton film. I hate that Danny Elfman soundtracks never vears away from the sounds of Batman 1989 or Beetlejuice. Sometimes, though, I have to admit I dont mind, like Arnie and Sly playing charismatic action heros. But I also like them trying their hand at comedy too.

I am disappointed when people do not support an actor who is apparently cast "against" type and shout "oh no, he's just a teen romance actor" or "he/she should stick to comedy" etc. And I absolutely hate "why is Robert DeNiro doing all these stupid comedies? He should be making gangster movies"...why the hell should he? And its not about p*y packets either, another thing I hate hearing...how would anyone know if an actor takes on a role for the money or just to do something different? ...sorry going off a tangent there, as I often do!

So yeah, like yourself I suspect, I like to see actors try widen their range because they want that challenge and they love to pretend to be someone completely different. I would always support their efforts even if they sometimes fail.

Although, I realise I could be hypocritical...Ben Aflek as Batman?!?....NOOOOOOOO!