Only Lovers Left Alive-2014

Director Jim Jarmusch

Starring Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston

Scott’s Review #237

Reviewed April 24, 2015

Grade: B

Only Lovers Left Alive (2014) is a bizarre trip into the strange and unusual world of vampires.

The film moves slowly but becomes hypnotic, drawing me into the plot, though the plot itself seems almost secondary to the film’s gothic mood and dark ambiance.

Thanks to the wonderful Tilda Swinton, who I find mesmerizing in every film role she appears in, the methodical film never completely bored me and, at times, even fascinated me.

Set in the present, Swinton and Tom Hiddleston play vampires named Adam and Eve, lovers separated by distance. Adam is a musician living in a vast Victorian house in Detroit, and Eve resides in Tangier.

Realizing that Adam is lonely and suicidal, Eve makes the international trek to the United States to be with her love.

As they settle into a quiet existence immersed in music and thought, Eve’s rebellious sister, Ava (Mia Wasikowska), from Los Angeles wreaks havoc on their lives.

Also in the film is John Hurt, who plays Marlowe, an ancient vampire who assists Adam and Eve, who succumbs to sickness from tainted blood.

The film is a creative, atmospheric offering from edgy independent film director Jim Jarmusch, known for left-of-center fare like Broken Flowers (2005) and Coffee and Cigarettes (2003), both visual and visceral achievements.

While I didn’t completely love this film, I felt the story is its weakest point; the magical, beautiful arrangements almost make up for it.

Set entirely at night (when vampires are awake) and featuring several shots of Adam and Eve posed naked or almost naked in lovely, artistic angles, I think the film aims as much for a “look” as for storytelling and doesn’t fully center on the plot.

It is also a lovely romantic film, though not in the typical sense of silly misunderstandings and comical moments, but rather in romantic artistry, as Adam and Eve connect spiritually.

Married hundreds of years ago, Adam and Eve have been inexplicably separated by thousands of miles and coasts, though the reason is not explained.

Why are they the few remaining vampires alive? Does the human race know they are vampires or think they are odd-looking people?

They both have money to burn and pay a high cost for being vampires, as they either pay a contact to steal blood from hospitals to survive or obtain the blood elsewhere.

They are tempted to bite humans but resist those urges.

The film doesn’t explain why they are two of the few vampires left in the world, or answer other questions. Adam, supposedly a famous musician, is wealthy beyond words and lives in a haunted-looking mansion surrounded by music and musical instruments.

The plot holes, of course, are secondary to me. None of them matter.

The film has beautiful moments; it is musically centered, and Adam and Eve share tender dances on more than one occasion. The film is a pure love story, but a very left-of-center one.

I admire the film’s creativity and its willingness to go where most filmmakers dare not. Jarmusch dares to be different and deserves much praise.

My main critique is the pacing; the story barely matters, as the film feels more like an art experience than a “mainstream” film with a strong plot and focus.

Only Lovers Left Alive (2014) is a different type of film and one worth admiring.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Female Lead-Tilda Swinton, Best Screenplay