This little Swedish horror flick may not be something you have heard of, or have had the chance to see. I came across a review for it around Halloween-time of last year (when it was hitting theatres overseas), and had to wait, and wait and wait for it to come to DVD in the U.S. When I placed a hold for it in February through the SHARE system, I was not expecting to wait for another four months. 'This better be good,' I thought to myself when I finally pulled the DVD out of the transit bin. I must say that it actually was worth the long wait, and you may agree with me if:
A) You don't mind foreign fims (English dubbing was an option, but I personally prefer subtitles).
B) You don't mind an R rating for some blood and gore, nudity and swearing
C) You liked Pan's Labyrinth
This film was directed by Tomas Alfredson and its screenplay was written by the author of the book that the movie was based on. Bear with me as I try to explain this amazingly unique film...
Oskar is an awkward 12 year old living in a wintry 1980s suburb of Stockholm. He is bullied at school, and lives with his divorced mother in an apartment complex that includes a playground where no children ever seem to be playing. While out in the playground one day, Oskar meets Eli (pronounced Eeelee), who seems to be his own age and has just moved into the apartment next door to his.
There is an immediate attraction between the two, and we see that Oskar is drawn to his new neighbor out of curiosity toward her odd habits, such as her walking in the snow with bare feet, and out of admiration for her strength. Eli's advice for Oskar in terms of the school bullies? Fight back.
Eli seems drawn to Oskar at first due to his sweetness, but as the film progresses, we see that Eli's feelings are very complex, and that she is no ordinary girl. On top of walking barefoot in the snow and never feeling cold because she's "forgotten how", Eli scares cats, defies gravity Spiderman-style, and drinks human blood to sustain herself. Let The Right One In is a vampire movie, but like none that has ever been made before. It has elements of spine-tingling horror, a heartwarming portrayal of first love, and the depth and intrigue of a dark fantasy. All of the film's images are in my opinion, instant classics, and the story is a primal one, yet also fresh and modern.
It is arranged to be remade by Hollywood (I am obviously worried, but keep reminding myself that I liked The Grudge, whose original was Japanese), and will be called Let Me In. Look for it on a big screen near you in 2010. Today, however, take the time to see Let The Right One In on DVD as I did, and remember that they just don't make many films like this one, so ENJOY!
- Dani
This film sounds very intriguing, Dani. I enjoyed "Pan's Labyrinth" and the storyline for this movie seems extremely appealing. I'm usually not a big fan of horror flicks, but I might just have to check this one out!
ReplyDelete-Lindsay
Alright, I finally saw the American remake, called "Let Me In" and directed by Matt Reeves. IT WASN'T BAD! But it really wasn't all that great. I must say that my biggest beef with the remake is the lack of subtlety. Most of the scenes seemed a mirror image to the originals, with the tone being the only big difference. In my opinion the Oskar and Eli of the original are much more believable and relatable than the Owen and Abby of the remake, not to mention a lack of some of the depth.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, the actors are good, the ending is the same, and it ISN'T "Twilight" ( that's a good thing). Now onto my next bit of research... reading the book!