Byzantium
Director: Neil Jordan
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Arterton, Sam Riley, Jonny Lee Miller, Daniel Mays, Caleb Landry Jones
Rating: (R16)
3 stars (out of 5)
Years of trying to avoid vampire films finally came to an end when I was landed with Byzantium, and surprisingly it wasn't as bad as I feared it could be.
With Neil Jordan (The Crying Game) at the helm and a spot-on cast, Byzantium is a well-crafted story that thankfully doesn't get too caught up in the romance of bloodletting and paranormal balderdash.
Clara (Gemma Arterton) and Eleanor (Saoirse Ronan) are a mother-and-daughter vampire duo on the run from their past and the unwelcome attention of some shifty characters from the immortal underworld.
Arriving at a tawdry English seaside town, their intention is to fit in without welcoming too much attention. After a chance meeting with kindly loser Noel (Daniel Mays), Clara sets up a brothel in his decrepit bed and breakfast, while Eleanor heads off to school.
Simplistic enough, except for the fact that hidden beneath Eleanor's innocent 16-year-old demeanour is a 200-year-old history that threatens to rear its head.
Aside from a couple of curious interludes of vampires feeding, the thrust of the mystical drama resides within classy flashback sequences that slowly reveal how the two women became immortal.
Byzantium is a charming little story that is shot evocatively and paced accordingly - just don't expect any shivers down the spine.
Best thing: Saoirse Ronan's performance.
Worst thing: The phoney-looking blood waterfalls.
See it with: Anyone seeking a fresh take on vampires.
