Byzantium

A vampire movie that is quite reminiscent of Neil Jordan's other vampire movie, Interview with a Vampire. Like that one, it's very concerned with secret societies and what it would be like to live for a very long period of time. The two vampires here are Gemma Arterton, a 19th Century prostitute who stole her powers (the film has a fairly unique vampire mythology; in fact, they aren't vampires exactly, but "sucreants"). She later gave them to her daughter, Saoirse Ronan, who, of course, has some issues with the fact that she has to remain a 16 year-old for eternity. Ronan isn't really aware of the secret brotherhood who have been hunting her and her mother for centuries. Sick of the life, she comes out as a vampire to a boy she likes, which leads the brotherhood to them. The movie is very slow moving, but it has two things going for it. First, it's simply beautiful. Jordan has probably never made a better looking movie. Second, both Arterton and Ronan are fantastic. Ronan's more than proved herself before. She's one of the world's finest young actresses. Arterton has mostly been used for eye candy. Indeed, she's a beautiful woman, but she proves herself as an actress here. The movie really picks up in its suspenseful climax, but it's enjoyable throughout.