Before Only Lovers Left Alive begins, Sony Pictures Classics was kind enough to mention that the film is rated-R for "Language and Brief Nudity." Hmmm - a vampire movie with no violence? How curious. And while Only Lovers Left Alive is not successful as a horror film (it doesn't care about that in the slightest), it is still a fascinating, great looking, and thought-provoking film. Storywise, it's a little scattershot, but I get the feeling that writer-director Jim Jarmusch is not so interested in the traditional vampire myth itself. Rather, he's using the vampiric qualities of eternal life, intelligence, and general coolness to explore topics that he's personally interested in (the power of Art and its role in our lives, the depressing state of humanity, and vintage clothes). Only Lovers Left Alive flirts with being overly pretentious at times, but overall it's a well made and unique film.
Our main characters are vampires Adam (Tom Hiddleston) and Eve (Tilda Swinton). They are a little less upper class than your typical screen vampire - they don't live in a lavish gothic castle with servants or anything. They look like a couple of neo-bohemians with a ton of money and a good hookup for vintage clothes. (The costume and set design in this film is fantastic.) Adam has taken up residence in the abandoned areas of Detroit (amongst the type of poverty where it looks like it's recovering from a bomb), and Eve lives overseas in Tangiers. The two are married - apparently happily so, but are just spending some time apart.
Adam is the rarely seen depressed vampire - despite not being an official member of the human race, he is fed up with the way humankind (the "zombies," he calls them) treats the world and each other. The outlet for his depression? He's a famous musician, but is also an enigma to the public at large. He demands absolute secrecy - his only real connection to the outside world is Ian (Anton Yelchin), his dealer for vintage instruments and other odds and ends. Adam has a massive collection of old vintage instruments, a large collection of vinyl, and old-timey devices strewn about his house. He's not really a hipster (he's a little too sensitive for that), but if you demand a quick description of his character that would work.
Eve is more of an intellectual. Her apartment in Tangiers is literally covered in books, and she can speed read through them in no time. She seems to be a living encyclopedia - she can place any show, song, or literary reference she comes across. One day, they are talking on the phone and Eve senses something wrong with Adam and decides to visit him in Detroit. Their adventures there more or less make up the rest of the film.
But Only Lovers Left Alive isn't really story driven. It's more about getting to know these characters, their quirks, and their routine, and just sort of hanging out with them while they philosophize about the state of the world from their unique perspective. I was actually kind of surprised an hour into things when Eve's annoying sister Ava (Mia Wasikowska) shows up to provide a little conflict - up 'til that point the film is really just kind of ambling along on a journey to nowhere. I don't mean that in a bad way.
If you are looking for a more standard horror film though, you'd best pass on by. Adam and Eve are the sort of benevolent vampires that don't kill people - they find other ways of getting their blood pharmaceutically. I was thinking there was going to be a big blood-as-drug metaphor (Adam is a musician after all), but thankfully the film isn't too heavy-handed in that respect. There is surprisingly little violence, as only one person is killed (offscreen). There are a couple little brief moments of that could be considered gory, but they could *easily* exist in a PG-13 (perhaps even PG) film. Honestly, it feels like Jarmusch is consciously going out of his way to avoid many of the classic vampire-tropes. He picks and chooses what works (immortality, sexiness, and so on) and just ignores the rest.
And it looks awesome too. I rented this on DVD, and will probably get the BluRay for repeat viewings (it doesn't hurt that it's one that my wife could actually watch - this might be our next New Year's Eve flick, in fact!). Everything about the production design is stellar. It's somehow dour yet lively. Vivid but dark colors, but filled to the brim with interesting vintage props. There's a little taste of steampunk there, and a lot of sexy retro style. The performances are great across the board - this is one of those films where you can just sense that everyone is on board with the creative vision/force behind the film, and it works like gangbusters.
I'm looking over this and think I've babbled enough. But I could go on and on - what each character represents to me, what Jarmusch is trying to do and say, etc. But it's just gobbledygook if you haven't seen it. I don't have the skill (nor the time or space) to devote to it here. Needless to say, it's a solid, solid film that was right up my alley. If you can enjoy a really arthousey vibe and a less traditional narrative, I don't see how you couldn't like Only Lovers Left Alive.
I would highly recommend this film.
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