A gothic classic

Rating: 8/10 (12 May 2020)

POSITIVES:
1) Tom Cruise is deliciously wicked and brilliant as Lestat
2) The film is more of a realistic character study than a "vampire film" with deep themes explored such as family and aging
3) I love the juxtaposition of Louis' two central relationships. One is his father figure and their relationship is aggressive whilst he is the father figure to the other and their relationship is loving
4) The dialogue is almost Shakespearean; being dramatic whilst also being realistic and relatable
NEGATIVES:
1) Some of the special effects look goofy and dated
2) It's 15-20 minutes too long, the Antonio Banderas stuff in particular could've been cut down
3) Because the film is mainly a realistic character study more than a "vampire film", it felt odd that they chose to keep in the silly vampire cliches of sleeping on coffins, reading minds and having super speed
4) I always hate when films have characters playing an instrument but then shoot the scene in a way where it is obvious that the actor is not actually playing the instrument. This happens with both Cruise and Dunst when they are playing the piano