Only Lovers Left Alive

Jim Jarmusch's sexy take on the vampire genre exudes the ultra-chic coolness that the director has trademarked over the years. "Only Lovers Left Alive" is not for everybody, mainly due to its slow-paced vibe, but fans of Jarmusch will be more than satiated.

The Ray-Ban-clad lovers in "Only Lovers Left Alive" look like roadies for the Rolling Stones but exude the romantic mysticism of Bela Lugosi's Dracula. Casting Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton in the lead roles of Adam and Eve is nothing short of brilliant. Their performances singlehandedly escalate the film from ho-hum to mesmerizing. The supporting cast is equally perfect, specifically Mia Wasikowska as Eve's little sister, Ava.

Adam and Eve are ancient vampires as well as long-time lovers who have been separated by a great distance for some time due to dwindling blood supplies. When Adam contemplates suicide, Eve must relocate to Detroit to be closer to him. The pair live off of blood donated to them by a local doctor and are heavily influenced by rock 'n' roll. There are various connections drawn to Adam having influenced the history of the genre dating back to the 1950s.

If there were such thing as pacifist vampires, Adam and Eve would exemplify such an ideal. They elegantly suck on homemade "bloodsicles" and are rarely seen in a position of hurting humans, whom they delightfully refer to as zombies. Feeding off of "zombies" is seen as a last-resort tactic rather than a necessity, hence the black market supply of donated blood. So what business does a vampire movie have without any fang-plunging goodness you may ask? Simply put, "Only Lovers Left Alive" is not your grandfather's vampire movie.

The film is a romantic drama first and foremost, and a vampire movie second. The brilliantly executed blend of both genres creates an end result unlike any other. Only Jarmusch could transcend something as superficially redundant as vampires. In a world where "Twilight" movies dominate our theaters, it's humbling to know that underground efforts such as this can flip the script in one fell swoop.

Jarmusch addresses the mysteries of everlasting love rather than hammering out yet another chapter in an already played out sub-genre. Sure, there's something mindlessly entertaining about a blood-splattered, throat-ripping vampire movie. Yet Jarmusch is too cool for that whole scene; he's been making "anti" movies for too long. "Only Lovers Left Alive" is an anti-vampire movie just like Jarmusch's "Dead Man" is an anti-Western and "Down By Law" is an anti-prison break movie.

The DVD release of "Only Lovers Left Alive" comes equipped with plenty of goodies. Along with deleted and extended scenes, the release also includes a behind-the-scenes featurette entitled "Traveling at Night with Jim Jarmusch," as well as a music video.

Film: 4 Yaps Extras: 3.5 Yaps

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycOKvWrwYFo&w=560&h=315]