Let The Right One In: Review

After A Mean Game Of Simon Says...

This year has been weird for foreign and indie flicks in my little city of Columbus. We have a couple theaters [literally] that play foreign releases months after they've been released. I'm not complaining; I'm happy I can see anything cool in this city without having to drive miles to make the showing time. Something really strange about this particular movie. Let The Right One In [Lat Den Ratte Komma In] was being shown at a pretty mainstream theatre around my hood. This is notable because: A) This is awesome B) What does this mean for my other local theaters that supposedly 'specialize' in getting the latest indie or foreign cinema?

 

I have never been as pleased as I was after watching a movie to then have questions and to debate with my gf as to what this or that could be, than I was with Let The Right One In. There are so many small, implied and ambiguous things about this movie that this review will not cover. I can only tell you to go watch the movie, see where it is being shown in your neighborhood, watch it on dvd when it comes out if theater is not an option. There is no doubt that this is a top 5 for best movie of the year!

 

The movie is dark, moody, a combination of a young man's coming of age [which is kind of an over used term, but words escape me right now when trying to describe what an experience it is] with a sad; almost reluctant horror vampire theme. Oskar, a 12 year old young man, faces challenges at home with what would appear to be his freshly divorced parents. Making matters worse, he has a bully issue at school that appears to be apart of a daily routine of schoolyard nightmares, but has gone unchecked for far too long and is escalating beyond rough housing.

 

Eli is a pale, drab looking young girl [which is a feat given the setting] who has recently moved in to Oskar's apartment complex. She has an older caretaker who, on first glance, appears to be her father, but their relationship is not spelled out for the viewer. This caretaker, goes great lengths to protect Eli and makes sure she is well fed. Unfortunately, the relationship takes a turn for the worse when the man is sloppy one to many times. Eli fends for herself and upon meeting Oskar; tells him to do the same.

Direction is key. The director [insert name] and principle photographer had to have worked hand in hand to construct some of the most immaculate shots seen all year in film. The scenes are long and truthfully if you are looking for a movie that is all stabs and grab...then you should probably look to the newest installment in the Saw series or maybe Twilight is more you speed.

Let The Right One In is great, because of how loose the narrative becomes. The climax of the movie is one of the biggest bloodbaths [literally], yet even with this, the director wants you to assume what has happened. There are few shots of gore and no gratuitous sex. It is unfortunate that it is rated "R", because I think with a parent/guardian a lot of mature teens could be [or become] fans of this gem.

 

The only thing bad within this movie would be that out of all of the frame-by-frame gold and minimal CG, the special effects department decided to go a tad overboard with a certain scene that involved computer generated cats. It is quite ridiculous and will only kill any perfectly built tension felt approaching the point of what would have surely been a great scene.

This movie is awarded...

Award Winning Swedish Meatballs From Sweden