Philemon is a high school aged boy who has to contend with a new home, new friends and the fact that he is a vampire.
This is an angsty coming of age tale melded with an outsider tale for a film of mixed results. While the film is beautifully acted, expertly filmed and frequently emotionally moving, the mixing of reality with the fantastic doesn’t always work. We are always very aware that Philemon is different. The film never completely blends it into the coming-of-age story so the need for blood is always in the foreground. In other recent films about outsiders trying to get by in the regular world, say BONES AND ALL, there is creation of a world where these people exist. Here we simply have the life and this outsider. It doesn’t feel wholly natural, and it seems more there for effect, ie. the metaphor of the outsider.
I should point out that my being critical of the vampiric angle is not because it’s bad rather it’s because the weak integration into the plot makes what could have and should have been a truly great film (the film is top shelf on every other level) just a good one. There is so much here that is award worthy we get distracted wondering why they went this route.
My quibbles aside FOR NIGHT WILL COME is going to click with many people and as such is worth a look.
No comments:
Post a Comment