3 1/2 out of 4 Stars
If you’re a fan of the recent revival of vampire films or a
passionate fan of all things hip and indie, then Only Lovers Left Alive is the film to see. Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston play Adam
and Eve, two blood-thirsty vampires living in a world of zombies (humans). Adam has grown depressed over the recent
century as he lives as a reclusive musician in Detroit while Eve is skipping
the light fandango in Morocco’s clubs along with a fellow bloodsucker, Marlowe
(A sagely John Hurt). As Adam contemplates suicide, Eve flies out to Detroit to
see her estranged husband.
By day, both lovers
sleep. By night, they sip on the finest Type-O blood bought from a surgeon (a
funny, yet underused, Jeffrey Wright), to avoid their old habits of sucking the
life out of any living person. Apart from the blood-drinking, Adam and Eve listen
to jukebox 45s, drive around Detroit touring the abandoned buildings, and
pining for the scientists and great thinkers they once ran in circles with; Eve
believes Adam’s depression came from hobnobbing with that “arrogant ass” Lord
Byron. Their reunion is interrupted by the arrival of Eve’s sister, Eva (Mia
Wasikowska), a freewheeling vampire who flew from L.A. (“zombie city,”
according to Adam) to Adam’s apartment.
The queen of the indie film
scene, Tilda Swinton’s second collaboration with Jim Jarmusch adds to the
seasoned actress’s roster of working with some of the most diverse and
celebrated filmmakers and delivering an ethereal and warm performance as Eve. Tom
Hiddleston is funny and haunting in his portrayal as the cynical Adam. Rather
than going off the deep end and waxing poetic about death as if he were Jim
Morrison, Hiddleston reigns in Adam’s pessimism with Jarmusch’s wit and surreal
observations. Mia Wasikowska’s blithe
spirit and presence in the film brilliantly counteracts with the philosophical
musings of death and the past.
Jim Jarmusch gives the middle finger
to the Twilight series and Vampire Diaries with his cool, sexy, and darkly
funny look at the dead surviving through music, literature, and love. Like his
previous masterpieces like Down By Law, Mystery Train, and Dead Man, Jarmusch focuses on strangers in a strange world as Adam
and Eve wander through the night clubs in Detroit and Tangiers contemplating
what the future holds for themselves and for those around them. Like Scorsese
before him, Jarmusch’s ear for music has helped enhance the cinematic
experience; if you don’t believe me, I defy you to watch Dead Man and not be stunned by Neil Young’s score or Ghost Dog as the Wu-Tang Clan’s music
adds to edginess of the film. In the case of Only Lovers Left Alive, Jarmusch’s personal alt-rock band, Squrl, and
minimalist composer, Jozef Van Wissem, give life to the living dead. Part
vampire tale, part love letter to Detroit, Only
Lovers Left Alive is a cynical, yet optimistic film about love.
