Review of Byzantium (2013) by Nick O — 24 Jul 2013

Neil Jordan knows evil. And he's met vampires before. But that doesn't mean a lot hasn't changed for the creatures of the night since 1994's "Interview with a Vampire", from the sparkly cash grab of "Twilight" to Tomas Alfredson's genre watermark (I think, at least) "Let the Right One In". Thank God the dude won't have any of the former in "Byzantium". Sure, things get needlessly contrived. But its human moments make it worth it. By which I mean "Byzantium" would be a seafront soap opera if not for the strength of its two leads, and Saoirse Ronan and Gemma Arterton -- as women estranged in blood, lust and eternal life -- are, just that, terrific.

Ronan again demonstrates what a fierce actress she can be when the material's up to snuff (see: "Hanna", "Atonement", "The Way Back"), and let's hope the fact "Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters" somehow scraped up enough dirty money to generate ideas for a sequel doesn't deter Arterton from moving away from the blockbuster shit heaps of "Clash of the Titans" and "Prince of Persia" and more toward her early indie work, particularly the excellent crime thriller "The Disappearance of Alice Creed". Jordan directs both fine ladies in every which manner of adulterous light. The movie turns sticky in a flimsy third act involving a group of undead thugs who go by "The Pointy Nails of Justice" (I'm not kidding), though Jordan's handle on "Byzantium" is firmest and most alluring when he allows the story to work in shades of grey. It may ultimately be nothing to write home about, but Ronan and Arterton play every beat with unnervingly icy passion.