Let Me In-- Movie Review

Is true love born out of necessity and co dependence?

'Let Me In' is a poignant love story set in New Mexico, where a 12 year old boy who is the frequent victim of school bullies is drawn to a 12 year old mysterious girl who shifts to the neigborhood. Owen and Abby share striking chemistry and the scenes they share are a treat to watch in the movie. They behave like innocent kids yet their passionate relationship will touch anyone.

Owen is sensitive and alienated with little or no support from his divorcing parents. Abby is a vampire, a monster who lives on blood drained by a serial killer. This serial killer who looks aged and poses as Abby's dad used to be her boyfriend once and would do anything to keep Abby alive. As the story goes, Abby will not age so she needs to look for another companion after her current companion kills himself while saving her.

Abby is reserved, moody, and mysterious. She shows maturity because she is physically a 12 year old but in reality an ancient vampire. She trusts Owen unconditionally often doing things just for the sake of pleasing him. So the other question arises if Abby has a heart which feels?

The genres of thriller, horror, love story and mystery blend smoothly in Mat Reeves''Let Me In' which is based on a Swedish movie 'Let the Right One In'. Abby's emotional support and friendship strengthens Owen who is able to fight back the bullies at school. After Owen comes to know the truth about Abby, they part ways in pain. However true lovers cannot stay apart and that is the surprise ending of the story.

The Twilight movies also deal with love and relationships but should not be compared to this work. This is much more realistic and deep. There are an abundance of gory scenes and in this movie you see for the first time what happens to a vampire when they entire a home without invitation.


About the American adaptation, from Wikipedia:

In adapting the story for American audiences, Reeves stated that keeping the 1980s time period within the film was critical in exploring the theme of good and evil. He used Ronald Reagan's "evil empire speech" as an example of American thought during that time period. Reeves stated, "The idea of Reagan's 'evil empire' speech and that whole sort of school of thought was that evil was something that was outside of us. Evil was 'Other,' it was over there, it was the Soviets". Reeves felt that this idea was central to the main character Owen, as he "would be grappling with these very, very dark feelings but being in a kind of American town where there was that sort of [Reagan era] mindset and religiousness. How would you fit in? How would you feel about yourself being confused and being 12 or 13 years old and not knowing what it means that you wish you could kill those kids who were terrorizing you every day? The humanity of that."

I would not be surprised with the box office collections of this movie and comparing it to the twilight saga. It did not get so much publicity and features lesser known actors.However child actors Kodi Smit-McPhee as Owen and Chloë Grace Moretz as Abby have immense potential to become great adult stars based on their controlled performances in this movie. They are also well supported by others in the cast. The background absorbs the alienation and loneliness of the main characters. I would love to read the novel of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist and also watch the Swedish version directed by Tomas Alfredson.

Of Sweden and Movies

Sometimes I just like the sound of a language. I have worked with clients from Sweden belonging to two big and famous incorporation. Heard numerous stories about the type of life people lead in Sweden especially Stockholm.

As I know it is quite a liberal society with decent and skilled people. They have 'son' frequently at the end of their surnames and I know about football or rather soccer associated with Sweden among other things.

I watched a movie where the protagonist belonged to a town called Amal. It turned out to be one of the sweetest movies I have seen for a long long time. May be because the family and especially the dad of one of the main leads is so much like mine--Supportive and affectionate. Agnes and Elin are the the two kids who share the main roles. The girl who was playing Elin looked partly Russian and indeed she is.

A story of being a different and lonely kid and the gorgeous, kind yet super bored kid in a small town. The plain intelligent girl and the gorgeous super popular girl...this combination has been used in so many movies such as 'Poison Ivy', 'Heavenly Creatures', 'My Summer of Love', 'Water Lilies' and I can't really remember all the names but sure as hell it is a killer combo and fatal attraction at times. However the movie, I saw is, probably the sweetest portrayal of the combination. It's name sounds misnomer in the original (Fucking Åmål) movie but is named 'Show Me Love' in its US release. I did some background work and found out that the two kids playing the main lead grew up to be women of substances, completing their education properly in spite of having the pressure of the limelight on them in such a young age. They (Alexandra Dahlström, Rebecka Liljeberg) amazed me with their great performances and I am swept off by Sweden once more.

...blah blah vampire killers

When you work six days continuously, you can well imagine the erosion happening on the body and mind front. For me this devastation has become a continuous ritual. As I sat late night on Saturday with my notebook on my hard gruesome bed, I just didn't have words to explain my situation.

It was raining cats and dogs as usual at that time of night and I settled down to watch a horror movie in dim lights with full fledged audio booming through my cosy little apartment. Some ...blah blah vampire killers with some very hot women dressed like pseudo sluts with weird hair styles and teeth. I would say the saving grace was the cute British hero who had eyes of Jude Law and the accent.

I really don't know what spooked me...the movie or the fluctuating voltage which only affected the room in which I was sitting. I sipped on green tea as I don't take any other beverages and sleepily sat through the entire movie which was all about a sword which had a dick like handle and bursting vampire girls spewing out milk-like or semen-like stuff. Gross and disgusting, I would say. However the narration and structuring was nice as it was like that of a comic book.

No wonder why I generally don't go for British horrors though there are some really good stuff out there which are not mixed disproportionately with the comedy genre.

Room In Rome...movie impression

I saw one of the most romantic films of recent times, 'Room in Rome'. Thanks to my friend who is doing research in Lesbian portrayal in contemporary films and literature.

I never thought a one night stand can be romanticized so beautifully along with the concept of soul connection. The movie just revolves around one night when two women from two different ethnicities meet. The brunette and the blonde and how their characters, sensibilities, and feelings for each other evolve through out a torrid passionate night in a hotel room.

Italian music, art and romantic renaissance atmosphere is perhaps portrayed nowhere in so much harmony.You do not have to be a lesbian to feel the movie. The women who come together out of curiosity, lust, and attraction and how they connect through conversations on art, life, poetry and hopelessly fall in love with the breaking dawn on their face.

I will never forget how the bed sheet becomes a flag raised on a hoist as a manifesto of their feelings which can otherwise cannot be revealed. I will never forget when Alba lies in a pool of blood in the bathtub with an arrown in her heart and points to the painting of Cupid with the bow on the wall. The kisses which are very short at the beginning become passionate and lingering towards the end. The lust changes to just being together romping in the bath tub.

The movie starts in the street and ends there with an open ending when Dasha calls out Alba's name and runs to her as she departs from the city. I really don't know how a man might interpret this movie where minimum amount is paid for costumes as the lead chracters are always in their skin glorifying the nude all exposed self so beautifully portayed in DH Lawrence's 'Lady Chatterley's Lover'among others.

Not only romanticism, the movie has its own share of humour and who can forget about the 'boiled cucumber' and 'leaving it in the bathtub'.

I will download this movie and keep it as an asset and Elena Anaya who plays Alba, well she was quite a revelation (pun intended).

Movie reviews

This week-end I bought a few DVDs and gorged on the movies. After a very very long time I felt good...really good. Yesterday was Janmastami and that reminded me that years ago I used to give some gift to somebody on this occasion. I loved to wish Lord Krishna 'Happy Birthday' in my own style. Where have those habits vanished?

You can read some of my movie reviews here:
http://www.mouthshut.com/PulomaDas/reviews