Month: October 2010

This is the second part of a three part look at the Swedish film “Let The Right One In” and it’s American remake “Let Me In.”  Part one is a review of “Let The Right One In,” and part three looks at both together.  I plan to do my best to keep the two film reviews independent of each other, but do forgive me if I fail.  I would also like to acknowledge that I have not read the original novel, though I plan to in the future.  This commentary is based solely on the films and some trivia found online.

Let Me In (2010)
Starring: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Chloe Moretz, Richard Jenkins
Directed by: Matt Reeves
Written by: Matt Reeves, based on the novel and screenplay by John Ajvide Lindqvist
Rated: R

Rating:

We open on a snowy landscape outside Los Alamos, NM, with the blue and red flashes of sirens silently moving down a road.  An ambulance is delivering a man with severe burns on his face to the nearest hospital.  Once stabilized, he is grilled by a detective about his possible involvement with a Satanic cult.  When the detective leaves, the man scribbles “I’m sorry Abby” on a sheet of paper and hurls himself out the window to his death.

Rewind a few days.  In a low-rent apartment complex, the young Owen (Smit-McPhee) is struggling with his day-to-day life.  Bullies at school regularly taunt him, sometimes to the point of embarrassing side effects.  The lead bully, Kenny, calls Owen a “little girl” and take every possible opportunity to humiliate him.

One evening, Owen is watching his neighbors through his bedroom windows when he sees a young girl arrive with an older man.  They quietly and inconspicuously make their way to the apartment next to Owen’s.  The next night Owen meets the young girl, Abby.  She is strange: she doesn’t wear shoes and no coat, yet the cold doesn’t bother her.  He lets her borrow his Rubik’s cube, which she quickly solves.

As Owen and Abby’s bond grows, people end up murdered in the town.  The older man that moved in with Abby is out collecting blood – because Abby is a vampire.  Unfortunately the man has become sloppy in his work, ending with one of the most amazing car wrecks I’ve witnessed on the screen.

The bullying at school gets worse, as well.  Owen’s confidence in himself grows the closer he gets with Abby, and he ends up confronting the bullies one fateful afternoon, nearly tearing Kenny’s ear of in the process.

As with the review of Let The Right One In, I don’t want to spoil too much.  The performances from the child actors are amazing, and it is their innocence that saves this film.  I had already seen both of them in other roles where I was equally amazed at their performances (Moretz in Kick-Ass and Smit-McPhee in The Road).  My only complaint here is that Moretz is sometimes too downtrodden, rather than just disconnected.

The visuals in the movie are striking, and the cinematography is well done.  It’s not at all what I expected from the director of Cloverfield.  The move is subtle and even, which are two words that don’t often describe American movies these days.

Unfortunately, mixed in with the truly great – such as the car wreck scene, which I feel a need to mention again as it was gut-wrenching and perfect – are moments of the “Aw, really?” variety.  In one scene, Abby runs in distress and climbs a tree, except she’s clearly CGI and the effect really ruins the emotion of the moment.

The original Swedish version is clearly the winner between both, but the American version has a different perspective on the tale, and brings in several unique items that the Swedish version didn’t offer.  In all, you actually can’t compare the two apples to apples.  It’s a worthy stand-alone film that deserves its own place on the horror movie collectors shelf, even if it is right beside the original.

—

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtgXnxiEM3o

Deleted scene and interview with Matt Reeves: Exclusive Deleted Scene: Let Me In; Matt Reeves Explains Why the Intense Sequence Was Cut

This is the first part of a three part look at the Swedish film “Let The Right One In” and it’s American remake “Let Me In.”  Part two is a review of “Let Me In,” and part three looks at both together.  I plan to do my best to keep the two film reviews independent of each other, but do forgive me if I fail.  I would also like to acknowledge that I have not read the original novel, though I plan to in the future.  This commentary is based solely on the films and some trivia found online.

Låt den rätte komma in (2008)
Starring: Kåre Hedebrant, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar
Directed by: Thomas Alfredson
Written by: John Ajvide Lindqvist, based on his novel
Rated: R

Rating:

Let The Right One In is one of those rare films that comes along every few years.  It’s been described as “transcending genres” and it truly does.  At it’s heart, it’s a coming-of-age story for a 12 year-old boy outside Stockholm in 1982.  It’s about the girl who gives him the confidence to make that lead towards manhood, and their incredibly unique relationship.  It’s also about that girl, and her unique situation – she’s a vampire.

To get it out of the way right now – yes, the story does have gore and violence.  What is unique about it is the portrayal of the violence.  It’s not a central aspect to the story – the fact that the violence occurs is extremely important, but the violence itself isn’t.  So few filmmakers actually understand that difference anymore.  When violence happens on-screen, it’s hidden in shadows and behind object.  It’s just as violent, but not as graphic.

Oskar (Hedebrant) is a 12 year-old boy living outside Stockholm in 1982.  His parents are separated and Oskar’s relationship with both is strained.  His father is an alcoholic and his mother is barely there for him.  He spends his days alone and getting bullied at school by Conny and his two cronies.  At night, still alone, Oskar pretends to exact revenge on Conny with a small knife and a tree.  He stabs the tree violently, telling it to “Squeal like a pig,” just as Conny does to him.

Into this solitary existence comes Eli (Leandersson), a mysterious girl who moves in next door with an old man, Håkan.  Eli and Oskar meet one night on the jungle gym in the courtyard.  The meeting is quiet, uneventful, but a strong attraction is immediately formed.

The next night Oskar shares his Rubik’s cube with Eli and it, essentially, becomes their first date.  As Oskar and Eli grow their friendship, Håkan is attempting to collect blood to feed Eli – being a vampire and all – but he is old, and getting sloppy.  His first attempt fails when he is almost discovered by a pair of hikers.  Eli is furious and murders one of the neighbors.

Håkan’s mishaps continue, increasing tension amongst the neighbors and setting in motion a series of events that could end up destroying Eli.  Oskar runs into more severe bullying at school, and at Eli’s urging hits back at Conny, nearly tearing Connys ear off when he does so.  Eli works to stay alive while building her relationship with Oskar.  Then Oskar discovers that Eli is a vampire.

I don’t want to spoil too much of the movie, because it is very unpredictable.  Though “unpredictable” isn’t quite the right word – it’s something to experience.  It’s a unique film-going experience to live part of the relationship between a 12 year-old boy struggling to become a man and a vampire struggling to stay human.

The performances of two young actors are amazing.  They are more subtle than most performances these days, and the fact that both actors were 12 or 13 when it was filmed makes it even more amazing.  Hedebrant is especially good at portraying the conflicted Oskar.  The inner struggle with loneliness and trying to be noticed by the right people is there in his stance, his facial expressions, the way he talks.

The direction is what makes the movie a real gem.  The pace is even, which builds just the right amount of tensions at the right moments as you wait for the event to unfold.  Alfredson takes some amazing risks with his camera angles and perspective, often leaving the vast majority of the frame out of focus, or moving the camera to a position where the action is outside the frame.

In the end, the film is one of the few that actually live up to the title of “transcending genres.”  It is a coming-of-age tale.  It is a vampire tale.  And it’s surprisingly touching.

(As a side note, to those who are looking to purchase a copy of the film, make sure you read the article below regarding the subtitles and pay attention to what release you are purchasing.  There is a drastic and unfortunate difference in the UK/European and American releases.)

—

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICp4g9p_rgo

The subtitle controversy: http://iconsoffright.com/news/2009/03/let_the_wrong_subtitles_in_to.html