Vampire (2013)

I'm always interested in vampire films that are original and stay true to the complexity of a blood sucker surviving in the modern world and yet is able to refrain from being whatever Twilight was all about. 'Vampire' is definitely an interesting take on the genre, which focuses on a young science teacher who preys on girls looking to commit suicide. The most interesting thing about this film is how the vampire himself seems to be surrounded by crazy people and I'm not talking about his victims. The sane characters are the depressed people looking for death and the other characters all seem to have personality disorders or are psychopaths, which then makes the lead seem that much more of a nice guy. The film starts out really interesting and has a very cool cast of actors that are well known in connection to the horror genre, but the film begins to fizzle out when it goes from drama to art-house drama about halfway through. Then, the film continually drags with scenes that are unnecessarily too long to be entertaining. The weirdest part is the long list of Horror veterans with crazy small parts throughout the film that go nowhere. Kind of a huge disappointment, but Vampire doesn't deliver the horror as much as it smothers you with drama.Please like me on Facebook! You can read more of my reviews and get info on the latest movies in horror:http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Heart-Horror/338327476286206

Iwai steps out of his Japanese comfort zone to produce an all-English film that never sparks to life. A young teacher with a thirst for blood helps wannabe suicides to die, at the same time taking payment in blood to satisfy his craving.Iwai goes after lyricism and visual poetry but forgets plot and character. These dull, droll people - they are all too sharp, witty, beautiful, young and clear-eyed to in any way convince that they are clinically depressed - wander through the frame, spouting little clunky monologues that are forgotten as soon as heard. There are some nice images here, you'd expect no less from Iwai, but the master storyteller who gave us Swallowtail and Love Letter does not inhabit this film. The subtlety and youthful longings that permeated Hana and Alice are also conspicuous by their absence. There is no dramatic tension, no empathy, no persuasive on-screen relationships - Martin and his mother never really convey a sense of shared history. A relationship with a cop seems forced in order to introduce an equally wooden stalker character. The script is badly under-realised, and everything after that can't move beyond that initial failure.Iwai on top of his game is one of the world's best filmmakers, so it is deeply disappointing to see this flat, facile film in his oeuvre. Brief glimpses of his visual prowess remain, and allied to a stronger narrative, give hope that the old Iwai will show up in his next film. It's small consolation for having to sit through this.

This is not a vampire flick. It shouldn't really be necessary to point this out, after all the summary makes it very clear. But it would seem that the reason for this film's overall cold reception is precisely that it doesn't feature supernatural, love-lorn beings to satisfy inhibited sexual desires of self-destruction. Rather, it presents an altogether uncomfortable view on real-life blood-thirst and a controversial look at suicidal obsession.If you're familiar with Iwai's work, then neither the subject matter nor the style come as much of a surprise. Iwai's staple theme is alienated youth and the thin line between friendship and destruction. In 'All about Lily Chou-Chou', he explored bullying and underage prostitution against a backdrop of how virtual and real-life personalities differ, 'Swallowtail Butterfly' dealt with the ups and downs of a group of misfits bonding and betraying each other, and 'Hana & Alice' showed a close high-school-girl friendship with elements of rivalry over a particular boy.'Vampire' follows a story which actually happened in Japan: a man convinces young women in suicide chat-rooms to die together with him, eventually tricking them so that he may consume their blood. The focus isn't so much on why he wants to do this (apart from ambivalent references to the quest for immortality), but rather why these women want to die - and this is where I see a continuity with Iwai's other work. It's not so much about the story itself, which takes somewhat unfathomable turns and ends up in a confusing mêlée, but rather the visuals, which create a mystified, surreal and at times even humorous perspective on death. The proverbial 'vampire' is actually seen as a perversion of this theme, which becomes obvious in a rather gory parody of the 'serial killer' image, complete with fangs and cape.If you wonder what a Japanese film with American actors may look like, then this one may be very well for you. To me, it's been worthwhile just for seeing that the styles of Japanese cinema - character vagueness, visual rendition, and most of all quietness - can be translated into English rather well. However, if you really expect a vampire flick, better wait until the next 'Twilight' segment.

I just finished watching this film at Sundance, and it was nothing like I expected. Very little gore, a cool and somehow likable main character. Why Keisha Castle-Hughes has top billing I don't understand, when she only has one scene at the very beginning. Adelaide Clemens stood out, as the girl who just might save our "hero," had not Rachael Leigh Cook, great as the pushiest would-be girlfriend I ever saw, went and ruined it all. Amanda Plummer gives an outstanding performance while only uttering one word in the whole film. Kevin Segers is terrific as Simon. Simon is vampire as boy next door, without any annoying vampire clichés to get in the way.Now my problems with the film. The dialogue was a little trying at some points, but since the writer/director is not a native English speaker,it's forgivable most of the time. The movie did go on too long, there were moments where I thought "okay, that's the end," followed later by, "okay, now that's the end." One of the final scenes, featuring Kristin Kreuk of Smallville fame, is charming doesn't give us any more insight into Simon's story. Was she the first? Why is this flashback being featured at the end like this, when Simon's story is, essentially, over? My biggest problem with the film were the rotated shots. For no apparent reason as we see Simon and his new friend fishing, the shot is upside down. There's at least another few shots that are sideways. They added nothing to the film and only inspired me to tilt my head for a better view.The film also features a insightful study on the depressed and suicidal. Both actors and director bring their pain to the forefront without any over-dramatic clichés. The scenes between Simon and the women are poignant, especially the non-vampire scene with his student.If you're looking for a horror movie, this is not it. The most gruesome scene in the film features the main character only on the sidelines being repulsed by it. But if you like vampire as ordinary hero -- and not the fangy or sparkly kind -- you may enjoy it.