Review of Byzantium

Initial Thought: I have been meaning to watch this one for awhile. I just never had the chance until now. It looked rather interesting and different. Besides who wouldn't fantasize about being bitten by Saoirse Ronan or Gemma Arterton.

Characters/Acting: Really I only care about Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan here. There are a few other quite familiar faces though. Only the two main girls matter for me. The characters are all quite likable and expertly portrayed. All except of course Jonny Lee Miller's character who you learn to despise rather effortlessly.

Story: Two women take shelter in a resort and things begin to get out of control when their secret is shared. This isn't your typical bloodbath vampire story. Yeah it has a few pretty good death scenes, but it has a more human style story to it. You can see the situations as more relatable with this style. There is something so mesmerizing about the cinematography here. You simply can't disagree that this is a beautifully shot film. The story is pretty dark and definitely not for the younger crowd who are drawn to the run of the mill vampire flick. This one deals with heavy subjects in a very grown up style. In my opinion it could be compared to that of an Anne Rice novel. The blood waterfall scenes were pretty awesome to behold. I thought the ending was quite well done.

Directing/Writing: I have only seen The Brave One and Breakfast on Pluto by Neil Jordan. Those too were really good in my opinion so it should be interesting to see his take on vampires. I haven't seen anything by Moira Buffini, but I have heard of both of her films. Tamara Drewe also stars Gemma Arterton in the lead. Neil Jordan yet again doesn't disappoint with his flawless storytelling.

Final Thought: It's quite an original work of art. It's a bit slow for people looking for a bloody vampire movie. It's a much more compelling story than that. It's along the lines of Let The Right One In. If you want something different with your vampires that isn't repetitious cheese I definitely recommend this one.