Review of Vampire's Kiss (1989) by Jack H — 23 May 2015

Over the years, Nicolas Cage has developed a reputation for being a 'paycheque actor'; the National Treasures, the Ghost Riders and the slew of others have, in the eyes of many, demeaned him as an actor. I can understand this, and agree to a certain extent, but Nicolas Cage is capable of many great things on the big screen, and Vampire's Kiss, a genuinely peculiar piece of work, is testament to that. In this film, Nicolas Cage is at his unhinged best; his rather idiosyncratic lunacy is perhaps an acquired taste, but I found it to be refreshingly hilarious. His fearlessly unhinged performance combines perfectly with his seriously questionable hair, hilariously contorting, expressive face and his theatrical movement which sometimes borders on mime.

Cage occupies the role of Peter Loew, a womanising literary agent whose empty existence leads to a major mental breakdown. Peter is sent into a downward spiral of increasingly psychotic episodes, believing he is turning into a vampire after apparently being bitten by a rather more sinister one night stand. As Peter crumbles under the grasp of his psychosis, he begins to antagonise his sweet secretary Alva, obsessively badgering her to fix a painfully daunting and monotonous filing issue.

The film charts the descent into madness, but Cage performs in such a eccentric manner that it is indeed difficult to emphasise with Peter. But I don't think this is a detriment of the film, it is first and foremost a comedy, a black comedy; I didn't buy the film for a grim character study, I bought it to see a ludicrous, original performance. Vampire's Kiss is underrated; it's one of those quirky, unsung gems that you come across now and then that thoroughly delights you. Indeed, it's possible that my liking for the film may wane over time, but on initial viewing, I found myself laughing far more than I would at any conventional comedy.