Only Lover Left Alive
So I’ve seen OLLA on my little vacation to Munich and need to talk about it.
My reasoning for going to see it was half “it’s a Jim Jarmusch movie, it has to be good!” and half “I always liked vampires” (the ones without sparkles of course). I came out of the cinema loving it. Not only for itself, even though it’s a very good movie, but also because I missed this kind of movie and I didn’t realize how much. I don’t really care for labels like art house or independent movie and stuff, but I always loved movies that do more than tell a story, movies that are not only about their characters but about a certain feeling, about the atmosphere or simply just beautiful. The kind you overhear people saying “But nothing happened! Where was the plot?” and you want to scream at them “There were people and they were living and we could watch them being human!”
Only lovers left alive is about two vampires, Adam and Eve, but in truth it’s about humanity.
OLLA is promoted as a comedy, the trailer makes it look like a tragedy about a suicidal vampire, it’s neither. It’s really funny in parts and sad in others, but not because Adam pulls a Louis (does anybody else remembers Interview with the vampire?); the sadness lies more in its laconic view of the human world. Humans, the zombies on this earth, are alive but not living, and the undead, the vampires are watchers, admires and creators of art and music, the essence of humanity.
All these references to scientists, artists and poets made the movie as delightful as the colors and wonderful places. Detriot as a dying city, but still beautiful and full of potential (the theater!!) and Tanger as a place beyond the western world that still has a touch of innocence about it. I really liked Eve living in Morocco and reading Chinese(?) books, it was so perfect because if you have all eternity and could learn everything and see everything of this world, of course you’ll do it (and not go to high school). The highspeed reading scene? Best vampire skill ever! I loved Eve because she was so much alive, but I also kind of understood Adams frustration with the world.
I could watch it again just for its pictures, the cinematography is simply beautiful. Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddlston are a delight together, both all cheekbones and very good at this not quite human looking. Their chemistry is something between soulmates, ying & yang and incesteous siblings, wonderful, touching and a bit heart breaking. I loved Eve taking care, rescuing her lover and not the other way around and the solution at the end with the guitar is just perfect.
Other lovely things: The gloves, the whole mythology that is touched but not explained, the annoying whirlwind of sister, the Shakespeare thing, all the quotes, the fungus thing, the wood thing, the perfect, perfect ending and of course
“love is not love which alters when it’s alteration finds”
My reasoning for going to see it was half “it’s a Jim Jarmusch movie, it has to be good!” and half “I always liked vampires” (the ones without sparkles of course). I came out of the cinema loving it. Not only for itself, even though it’s a very good movie, but also because I missed this kind of movie and I didn’t realize how much. I don’t really care for labels like art house or independent movie and stuff, but I always loved movies that do more than tell a story, movies that are not only about their characters but about a certain feeling, about the atmosphere or simply just beautiful. The kind you overhear people saying “But nothing happened! Where was the plot?” and you want to scream at them “There were people and they were living and we could watch them being human!”
Only lovers left alive is about two vampires, Adam and Eve, but in truth it’s about humanity.
OLLA is promoted as a comedy, the trailer makes it look like a tragedy about a suicidal vampire, it’s neither. It’s really funny in parts and sad in others, but not because Adam pulls a Louis (does anybody else remembers Interview with the vampire?); the sadness lies more in its laconic view of the human world. Humans, the zombies on this earth, are alive but not living, and the undead, the vampires are watchers, admires and creators of art and music, the essence of humanity.
All these references to scientists, artists and poets made the movie as delightful as the colors and wonderful places. Detriot as a dying city, but still beautiful and full of potential (the theater!!) and Tanger as a place beyond the western world that still has a touch of innocence about it. I really liked Eve living in Morocco and reading Chinese(?) books, it was so perfect because if you have all eternity and could learn everything and see everything of this world, of course you’ll do it (and not go to high school). The highspeed reading scene? Best vampire skill ever! I loved Eve because she was so much alive, but I also kind of understood Adams frustration with the world.
I could watch it again just for its pictures, the cinematography is simply beautiful. Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddlston are a delight together, both all cheekbones and very good at this not quite human looking. Their chemistry is something between soulmates, ying & yang and incesteous siblings, wonderful, touching and a bit heart breaking. I loved Eve taking care, rescuing her lover and not the other way around and the solution at the end with the guitar is just perfect.
Other lovely things: The gloves, the whole mythology that is touched but not explained, the annoying whirlwind of sister, the Shakespeare thing, all the quotes, the fungus thing, the wood thing, the perfect, perfect ending and of course
“love is not love which alters when it’s alteration finds”