Review of Interview with the Vampire (1994) by Berc — 08 Jun 2016

The artistic medium of film is very subjective. Every audience member has a different set of criteria they use to measure their viewing experience. Not everyone shares the same set of criteria. If we did, what a bland and uninspired world this would be.

What I Personally Liked About "Interview With the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles":

As with many great films, the acting is first and foremost the thing to discuss. In the case of "Interview With the Vampire," there are two shining stars lighting our horizon. The normally super serious, stick-up-his-a** Tom Cruise allows himself to be loose and mischievous in this role and that chaotic playfulness suits him well. Also, for the second time in 1994, a successful long term career in motion pictures began for an ahead-of-her-age child star in the form of Kirsten Dunst (the other being Natalie Portman in "The Professional"). Kirsten steals quite a few scenes and displays a heady bravura beyond anything audiences could have expected. Brad Pitt, Antonio Banderas, Stephen Rea and Christian Slater all turn in top-notch performances but they pale somehow in comparison with the two true stars of the movie. The film's retention of Anne Rice's unique literary style is another strong selling point. While not all of the finer details of the material have been carried over from her novel, the general tone matches Rice's work admirably. In addition, it doesn't apologize for its depictions of twisted sexuality and violent bloodshed. Rather, it revels in them and refuses to suffer for trying to please a wider audience by lessening the impact of its gruesome underlying themes.

What I Personally Disliked About "Interview With the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles":

The same problem which troubles the majority of Neil Jordan's work permeates this piece as well: pacing, pacing, pacing. There were a few moments when I found myself wishing Jordan had stretched his cinematic wings and allowed his characters to breathe a bit. Often times it feels like there is a halting progression to the way the story unfolds and that makes it hard to fully enjoy the film. Another very big drawback is the inclusion of the song "Sympathy for the Devil" used during the end credits. I like Guns N' Roses. I really do. I just don't like their version of this song. It doesn't fit the film and feels like a big bit of pandering to the mainstream crowd; something the rest of the film avoids doing. It almost ruins the culmination of the film with its brazen banality. The original Rolling Stones version of the song would have sufficed; however I would have preferred to hear Elliot Goldenthal create another wonderful piece of gothic score.

My Overall Impression of "Interview With the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles":

Even though this film tries to remain true to itself in the long run, there are a few slips along the way. A slight, semi-commercial sheen washes over the picture from time to time and this holds it back from being an ultimate vampire classic. Still, the macabre morality play we are presented with during this production, combined with the skilled acting performances, certainly elevates this movie beyond average status.