An amazing film in its entirety

Rating: 10/10 (10 June 2005)

Louis, portrayed by Brad Pitt, is a vampire made in the late 1700s. He is tormented by the desire of the Blood, and is accompanied by the dazzler, Lestat, played by Tom Cruise. Quickly following Louis' creation is the creation of Claudia, wonderfully captured by Kirsten Dunst. Claudia quickly is pained by the idea that she will forever be prisoner in a child's body. Her pain flows into Louis, which adds to the tone and mood of the film. Overall, this movie sticks to the book.
Brad Pitt's performance in the role of Louis is spectacular; he captured the torrent of emotions that run through Louis' soul. Tom Cruise is very close to the Lestat that runs in my mind (I am an avid reader of Anne Rice, and I have read every one of the Vampire Chronicles... much of my bias of Tom Cruise comes from this.) Cruise is arrogant and lovely enough for the role, but hey, who am I to say that? Kirsten Dunst is the ideal Claudia, capturing her pain and torment, as well as her love of Louis and life. Her childish body is perfect, for her talent portrays the depth and intelligence of Claudia in the Chronicles.
My one and only complaint of the movie is Antonio Banderas in the shoes of Armand. In the Chronicles, Armand is an angelic-faced vampire, made as a young man (17-18). Do not get me wrong: Banderas is a fabulously talented actor, but he was just wrong for the role. The rest of the Theatre de Les Vampires is well cast, accurately capturing the chaos and the decay of old ideas found in the book.
This is a wonderful movie, and I highly recommend it to any fan of the books, as well as to any one interested in the Gothic/Horror genre. The film is beautifully set, and well directed.