Draining, pun intended

Rating: 7/10 (28 April 2012)

After losing his wife and child, Louis(Pitt, a far too reactive(as opposed to one who takes charge, and causes things to happen... he just goes with what occurs), and thus uninteresting lead) risks everything, and is found and turned by old vampire(and the ways thereof are endowed with the eroticism seen in other takes on this mythical creature) Lestat(Cruise, looking somewhat less effeminate than he does in Legend with golden locks), who laughs at the formers attempts to maintain his humanity, refusing to kill to feed(going after rats and poodles instead). One night, they turn a pre-teen girl, Claudia(Dunst, in her best performance this side of Melancholia... stunning), who threatens their peaceful coexistence(they're actually not unlike an old married couple, with constant bickering) upside down, with her lack of discipline and eventual yearning to grow up, to develop into a woman. I've now tried to watch this a few times, and each time the same thing happens: around the middle, I stop caring. Is it that the latter half is less compelling than the first? I really don't believe so. That's actually when stuff goes down. It's just too Gothic and vague(I can barely describe the characters so that one can tell them apart) for my tastes, and that doesn't mean that it will be for everyone. And don't get me wrong, this is a brilliantly acted piece. I couldn't point you to anyone in this who does less than excellent(the one who comes closest might be Slater... don't worry, he's not in it much). It's filmed and edited gorgeously. There are some deep, inspired notions explored through the seemingly endless life(at least 200 years, as is revealed very early on), the eternal youth, and the flirtation between life and death, from both those who have been bitten and those who have not. I haven't read the novel(or any other Rice), and can draw no comparisons. There is a lot of bloody, disturbing, brutal and violent content, some strong sexuality and a little full female nudity in this. I recommend this to anyone who wants a mature look at the nocturnal dweller. 7/10