Review of Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) by Douglas C — 13 Apr 2014

Pinch me, I may just be dreaming. If ever you wanted a cure for the Twilight fandom that swept the globe in recent years, Only Lovers Left Alive is exactly that. Combining sincere performances of immense depth from all involved, particularly the acting powerhouse of Hiddleston, Swinton and Wasikowska who engage us immediately and succeed in elevating the material to new heights.

Jarmusch, through this film, makes several pointed observations about wealth and excess via the lenses of Adam and Eve, two lovestruck vampires trying to stay below the radar for the past several centuries.

As with previous Jarmusch films, the soundtrack is offbeat yet appropriate as it encases the characters' lives and works in tandem with the performances. Adam, anchored by Hiddleston's central performance, makes you feel his burdens, his anguish and his boredom while Swinton's performance is counterpoint by comparison.

She's the dreamer, the hopeful one of the two and yet she cant get enough of Adam's swagger and disregard for humanity. This film counts as a worthwhile investment and is definitely time well spent whether you are a fan of the genre or not.

Many times throughout the film the characters take long drives with the luminescence of the low-hanging street lamps as their guide. It is in these moments you can feel their closeness and their mutual pain.

It is clear, by movie's end, that Hiddleston and Swinton had immense fun with their roles when even in the place of golden silence do they pull you into their world. Aside from a few pacing problems here and there, the film moves briskly along and the grungy environment that is ever-present on screen will make you want to dance and head bang.