Pretty Good

Rating: Null/10 (3 January 2004)

This is, visually, a stunningly beautiful film. However, I must agree with Lestat that the whining of Louis (which goes on for centuries) is most annoying.
Louis, a poor-me twenty something plantation owner in 1700s New Orleans, is a reckless drunk, devastated by the death of his wife and unborn son in the throes of childbirth. He spends his time gambling in seedy taverns and whining about his miserable life. So, instead of putting an end to his sorrow and committing suicide, he decides to become immortal and spend eternity whining some more. This gets on the nerves of vampire Lestat, the one who made Louis a vampire in the first place. Tom Cruise (who only ever seems to play Tom Cruise) is an unlikely vampire, though he doesn't do a completely awful job in his interpretation of the arrogant, sadistic Lestat. Dunst is the Vampire Claudia, the eternal child who plays her part flawlessly, enjoying her immortality, her bloodlust and the power of being an immortal. She gives Lestat a run for his money in the sadism department, merciless as she cuts his throat and instructs Louis to dump the corpse in an alligator-infested swamp. She is the fiercest and most frightening of the vampire trio.
The second half of the movie is where the true power lies, as Louis and Claudia arrive in France and are greeted by the ghoulish Theater des Vampires, led by Armand. Antonio Banderas in no way resembles an angelic red-haired seventeen year old boy (which is, according to the Book Purists I've spoken to, how Armand was described in the books) but he plays his part with grace and elegance. Stephen Rea as Santiago is wonderful, a cold, cruel killer who enjoys every second of his sadism. The theater itself is a wonderful set, filled with catacombs and dusty skeletons. The plot explodes as Claudia is found guilty and sentenced to death for her execution of Lestat, and the Theater burns to the ground as Louis finally gets a backbone and exacts a brutal revenge. This scene alone is almost worth suffering through an hour of self-pitying slop from Louis. The ending was also most welcome, virtually turning Louis, the thus-far established hero, into the butt of a very long joke.
I didn't love this movie, but I liked it, my only large complaint being the whining of Louis. But my personal preference has never been for incessantly complaining Pretty Boys anyway. I never cared much for the books and have never been a Book Purist anyway, even with books I truly loved (i.e. The Lord of the Rings). It was a decent vampire film with some truly stunning moments. It was better than most.