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adrienmundiPretty, pretty, pretty. (This should serve as a warning to some of you that I can, at times, be so taken with prettiness that I'll overlook the occasional plot holes and poor characterization). The visual style of the opening scene alone set the tone, as well as my expectation for texture and visuals to come, and I wasn't disappointed in that at all. There was a lushness to every scene in which the vampires were present (bias of the director/cinematographer, perhaps, or tapping into the cultural meme of partially restrained decadence and opulence in the vampire myth); the best the werwolves got was a nod to Subway (though why there were no werewolf bitches is beyond me; maybe hairy, swaggering homoeroticism and sterility is a part of the werewolf meme I've missed).
The plot wasn't what I went to this movie to see; it's a supernatural action movie, after all. I expected it to be the skeleton upon which a lot of very nice visual and a good bit of action were hung, and that's exactly what it was. I felt sorry for the actor who was cast to play Kraven; he had a poorly written part, but seemed to be making a game try of it. (Of course, he got to hang around with all the vampire lovelies, so maybe I don't feel too sorry for him.) I was very, very impressed with how they used the character of Viktor in action sequences; not only did he move differently than anyone else in the film, he managed to convey both age and power as though they were natural corrolaries. I think one of the most fully realized characters (not that that's saying a lot) was Erika; everything she did made sense, from what little we were shown of her.
And then, there was Kate Beckinsale, who will be the sole reason the majority of tickets for this movie will be sold, and rightfully so. Both my consort and I were complaining about her ability to look like she did in vinyl; it's just so unfair. For those of you unfamiliar with her work, she's actually quite a good actress; in this movie, that talent is used to combine sleek, sexy, and dangerous without appearing hard, cold, or simpering. I maintain that there is a subtlety to her performance that will be overlooked on the first blush, but think of other characters that were supposed to combine similar traits, and I hope you'll see what I'm talking about.
No, it's not academy quality, but as far as action films go, it's definitely my favorite in the last few years, and I'd say a lot of that has to do with cinematography, set, costuming, and blocking/choreography, all of which are way more subtle and effective than I would have expected.
(Plus, Kate is always, always in vinyl!)
The plot wasn't what I went to this movie to see; it's a supernatural action movie, after all. I expected it to be the skeleton upon which a lot of very nice visual and a good bit of action were hung, and that's exactly what it was. I felt sorry for the actor who was cast to play Kraven; he had a poorly written part, but seemed to be making a game try of it. (Of course, he got to hang around with all the vampire lovelies, so maybe I don't feel too sorry for him.) I was very, very impressed with how they used the character of Viktor in action sequences; not only did he move differently than anyone else in the film, he managed to convey both age and power as though they were natural corrolaries. I think one of the most fully realized characters (not that that's saying a lot) was Erika; everything she did made sense, from what little we were shown of her.
And then, there was Kate Beckinsale, who will be the sole reason the majority of tickets for this movie will be sold, and rightfully so. Both my consort and I were complaining about her ability to look like she did in vinyl; it's just so unfair. For those of you unfamiliar with her work, she's actually quite a good actress; in this movie, that talent is used to combine sleek, sexy, and dangerous without appearing hard, cold, or simpering. I maintain that there is a subtlety to her performance that will be overlooked on the first blush, but think of other characters that were supposed to combine similar traits, and I hope you'll see what I'm talking about.
No, it's not academy quality, but as far as action films go, it's definitely my favorite in the last few years, and I'd say a lot of that has to do with cinematography, set, costuming, and blocking/choreography, all of which are way more subtle and effective than I would have expected.
(Plus, Kate is always, always in vinyl!)
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Date: 2003-09-18 07:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-09-18 08:49 am (UTC)Interesting observation about the lack of female werewolves.