Even in the old days of Bram Stoker and Bella Lugosi, there was a certain sexiness, a certain "forbidden fruits" sort of vibe to vampirism and the entire
genre made famous on blood suckers and bats and dark Eastern European castles. In the most modern incarnation vampires have evolved into
straight heartthrob sex symbols, with the promise of immortality an inviting notion with drawbacks that seem to be far outnumbered by the positives
of experiencing endless romance on a scale no human ever could imagine (thanks, Stephenie Meyer). But it's perhaps the middle ground where the
genre finds
its most interesting tales, stories that forego bats and castles and fangs and capes but also eschew the sort of lovey-dovey "vampirism as the new
sexy" vibe. Immortality, also known The Wisdom of Crocodiles, embraces a new sort of spin by developing a character with
particular wants and peculiar needs to survive his affliction. The picture foregoes most of the superficial and examines the deeply rooted inward
characteristics that paint vampirism as neither deliberately heinous nor incessantly romantic but rather a real affliction that takes its toll on mind,
body, and soul all.
This is just one of many kitchen knives you could own!
Steven Grlscz (Jude Law) isn't the suave lady's man that defines his surface. Inside he's a troubled individual with a dark secret, a man engaged in a
constant
struggle to live and live with himself. He one day rescues a suicidal woman from stepping in front of a speeding subway car. She rejects him,
initially, but falls for him eventually. And he kills her, sinking his teeth into her throat and bleeding her out until death. When the body is
accidentally unearthed, Steven becomes subject of a fairly intense police investigation led by Inspector Healey (Timothy Spall). Meanwhile, Steven
meets another young woman, the mysterious, confident, and somewhat emotionally impenetrable Anne Labels (Elina Löwensohn). What Steven
finds in Anne is more than a victim but rather a woman he cannot control but cannot ignore, someone who might very well be the one to end his
string of violence or, perhaps, represent a prize he simply cannot have. Either way, their romance will have a lasting effect on who Steven is, and
what he does, for the rest of his existence.
Immortality blends together romance and personal reflection with a unique flavor quite unlike anything else out there. Director Po-Chih
Leong's film is certainly one made of mood and subtle dramatic currents that define a slower-paced and reflective sort of film that largely ignores
action
and sometimes even glosses over superficial details in its pursuit of expanding the protagonist's deepest, darkest secrets, in essence creating perhaps
the
ultimate inward look at a unique perspective in vampirism while almost completely ignoring the usual outward characteristics. Leong's skillful touch
accentuates dramatic nuance, making nearly every shot a micro-story within the much larger narrative. The film is at its best in its developing act
and
slightly more straightforward second as Steven forms a fascinating and unexpected bond with his law enforcement pursuer. Juicy themes and
clandestine
meaning abound, but the film becomes a bit too melodramatic in its wishy-washy final act that morphs into something of classic soap opera dealing
with the back-and-forths of a
difficult romance before revealing its secrets and pushing towards a conclusion that's not particularly predictable. Still, it's a satisfying journey that
neither rewrites Vampiric lore nor alters one's perception of the genre, but Immortality at least leaves its audience with more to think about
than mere blood and bats or teenagers who grace half the posters for sale at Wal Mart.
Jude Law is quite splendid as the outwardly cool but inwardly troubled soul who seeks out women not solely based on physical appearance or
emotional compatibility but rather those whom he can manipulate for his own personal gain, a unique gain to say the least. But with his needs
come a self-loathing; "a mistake," he calls himself, and Law runs with that dichotomy of playing up the exterior façade while exploring the deeper,
troubling dilemmas tearing away at his soul with a balance becoming both the character and an actor of his skill. Through his actions and words --
both with Anne and Inspector Healey -- Law's Steven unearths some very well
scripted ideas on nature, the role of good and evil, and his own existence in an imperfect world, but a world in which his contributions can and do
make differences on either side of the proverbial scale. The movie is very well made, more an artistic expression crafted on film than a generic
straightforward Romantic Thriller; the film's thoughtfulness and emphasis on exposition is reinforced by its subtle cinematic expressions and score.
Po-Chih Leong's direction isn't outwardly breathtaking, but his subtle mastery of the story is. It's too bad moviegoers haven't heard more from him,
particularly in films with similarly deep contexts.
Immortality's high definition transfer displays its share of problems, but it also holds its own, particularly given its budget-friendly pricing. Echo
Bridge's high definition transfer generally satisfies despite some warts, which include a bit of light wear-and-tear, a hint of softness in places, occasionally
spiky grain, and some distracting motion jitters. Otherwise, this is a fairly consistent, nice-looking image. Details are never quite so razor-sharp as they
might be, but more often than not -- and in close-ups in particular -- viewers will find some very nice, steady, accurate, film-like details on human faces.
Elsewhere, the image benefits from the upped resolution of Blu-ray and heightened clarity the format provides, but this one never really reveals any kind
of breathtaking
details. Colors aren't poor, but they're far from brilliant. There's a hint of dullness to them, but the transfer does offer a fair, consistently decent palette
that never gets in the way or stands out as particularly problematic. Black levels are decent, and flesh tones never too far from the norm. Again, for a
budget release, this one's not half bad.
Immortality features a fairly bland DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack. The film doesn't require much of its sound, and the track
doesn't offer much in return. Music isn't particularly vigorous, sounding instead a little reserved, timid, maybe, and not fully clear. Spacing is adequate,
but not seamless. Listeners will enjoy a fair little atmosphere on a college campus; light chatter, singing birds, and a chiming clock are nicely
implemented.
Punches don't hit very hard, and passing background traffic during one of the action scenes comes across as somewhat mushy. Dialogue is largely clear
and remains in the middle portion of the stage. It's certainly not a track to challenge even modest sound systems, but Echo Bridge's presentation should
get listeners through the film without too much difficulty.
Audiences searching for a superficial Vampire movie that's mostly about blood and/or sex appeal should pass on Immortality, or then again
maybe they shouldn't. The movie is very good at what it does, to a point; sometimes, and in the third act in particular, the film just gets weighted down
too much by its
own deeply explorative ambitions. It's far from a typical crowd-pleaser but it's perhaps just a little too extreme in the other direction. Nevertheless, the
sum of the whole far outweighs any drawbacks of the parts. This is an extremely well-crafted, smartly acted, and well-versed picture that explores
various themes thoroughly and is only sometimes a bit too ambiguous in its purpose. Echo Bridge's Blu-ray release of Immortality features
occasionally problematic, but
usually satisfying, video. A decent soundtrack and one extra are included. As usual with Echo Bridge releases, this isn't the pinnacle of Blu-ray quality
but the low cost combined with a good film and acceptable technical specs make this one easy to recommend.
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