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Cloverfield Director To Remake Let The Right One In

Ok, so I've heard Matt Reeves is kinda in talks to direct one of two possible movies next, a remake of They Live(actually just another film based on the story/book that They Live was based on called Eight O'Clock in the Morning) or a sort of post apocalyptic vampire/survival movie(sounds like I Am Legend). Any thoughts follks?
 
I thought he already signed onto the "Eight O'Clock in the Morning" one? In which case, it sounds like there's more to be done with that story, and I have high hopes for it. I just hope he doesn't get pigeon-holed as "the remake guy."
 
Matt Reeves is making 8 AM and if I remember a 28 Days Later/I Am Legend movie.
 
I finally watched Let The Right One In the other week, and while I really enjoyed it, I just found Let Me In to be the better movie, its better acted, Owen is more sympathetic than Oskar and in LMI you actually feel a lot more sorry for Abby (due to Chloe's performance mostly), so yeah, LMI is the better movie for me.

Although I did notice a bit of a plot-hole at the end in both movies, who invited Abby/Eli into the swimming baths?
 
Yeah, Let Me In is better to me as well, mainly for the reasons you gave. I prefer both to the novel though.

Well, as she showed when she entered Owen/Oskar's apartment, she CAN enter but it causes her harm... so she probably just risked it to save him. It was either that or watch Owen drown.
 
I thought vamps couldn't enter someone's home without being invited. Swimming pool complexes are not homes so its all fair game. I did end up seeing the remake but I prefer the original (most because of it's pool scene and the film score)...and honestly lets face it, if let the right one in was not made there would be no Let me in. Matt Reeves pretty much copied Let the Right One in rather than making an adaptation of the book which is much more different.
He did a good job but I wish he adapted more from the book.
 
Yeah I think the swimming pool is public property so anyone can enter. Same reason she was able to go to that store earlier on in the movie and the hospital.
 
Very interesting read Jeet. Will you be doing more?

I wish they had used the jump off the jungle gym in the remake. I read that it was one of the few cgi shots they did to show off how otherworldly she was.
That was cgi? I thought that was wires or something.

I have done more....just forgot to post it here. :) I'll get on that.
 
I finally watched Let The Right One In the other week, and while I really enjoyed it, I just found Let Me In to be the better movie, its better acted, Owen is more sympathetic than Oskar and in LMI you actually feel a lot more sorry for Abby (due to Chloe's performance mostly), so yeah, LMI is the better movie for me.

Although I did notice a bit of a plot-hole at the end in both movies, who invited Abby/Eli into the swimming baths?
As said in other posts, think of "public" vs "private". For instance, Abby can walk into the hospital lobby but has to ask permission to enter a hospital room.
 
Yeah, Let Me In is better to me as well, mainly for the reasons you gave. I prefer both to the novel though.

Well, as she showed when she entered Owen/Oskar's apartment, she CAN enter but it causes her harm... so she probably just risked it to save him. It was either that or watch Owen drown.

Havent read the novel but have heard its a bit over-long and too crazy at points.

I thought vamps couldn't enter someone's home without being invited. Swimming pool complexes are not homes so its all fair game. I did end up seeing the remake but I prefer the original (most because of it's pool scene and the film score)...and honestly lets face it, if let the right one in was not made there would be no Let me in. Matt Reeves pretty much copied Let the Right One in rather than making an adaptation of the book which is much more different.
He did a good job but I wish he adapted more from the book.

As said in other posts, think of "public" vs "private". For instance, Abby can walk into the hospital lobby but has to ask permission to enter a hospital room.

Good points, didnt think of that.
 
Havent read the novel but have heard its a bit over-long and too crazy at points.
It's really good. But it does get VERY creepy at times. One scene that takes place in the basement will linger in your mind. :) Neither movie touched that scene.

There is an online Let Me In viewing planned for tomorrow night at about 8-9pm est if anyone is interested.

You'll need:
1-a copy of the movie
2-Skype (free download and free to use) http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/get-skype/

Go to www.bemealittle.com and go to the chat room (you'll need to register like with most chat rooms of course).

We all jump on Skype together and push "play" on the movie at the same time. A running commentary then commences with much hilarity, silliness, and occasional true insight. We've got people from all over showing up....from Mexico to Australia.
 
Next clip up at: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xhbpgp_lmi-ltroi-compare-2_shortfilms

Keeping with the kids' scenes, these are two more that could seem "exactly alike" if you don't pay attention.

Scene 1: Morse Code

Music
Dead silence again for LTROI. I like it a lot. Gives the scene an eerie quiet.

I also like the music in the LMI scene. One of my favorites from that score. Sooo...pretty. Makes the scene romantic to me.

Dialog

Some of the dialog makes me wonder here if Eli planned part of this conversation. The fact that she watches Oskar (from earlier in the movie) could mean she knew all about the bullies before she asked. "You've never hit back...have you?" And "So do it." sounds a bit like coercion. "I can do that." could be construed like a promised reward. Is there an unspoken "if" there? :cwink: Fun to deconstruct it and speculate about.

The dialog in LMI seems more intimate. I like seeing the kids get to know each other. They trade information about their parents. Owen, upon hearing that Abby's mother is dead, tries to show the kinship between them by telling Abby about his parents getting a divorce. That's both a moment showing Owen to be an empathetic kid and that he is eager to be friends with Abby. I prefer "I'm a lot stronger than you think I am" to "I can do that". The former is a part of the "little girl" theme that runs through LMI. I like that Owen expresses doubt that a mere "girl" could help. Oskar appears to accept Eli's offer of aid without protest. (Oskar frequently just accepts things that Eli says)

Acting
Once again Kare surprises me. I'm starting to do a complete 180 on my opinion of he and Lina in LTROI. He is impressing me more and she is impressing me less. The strong moment for me was when Kare was showing Oskar to be attempting to change the subject from the cut on his face. I really don't feel Lina did much. She's not terrible or anything, just seemed like average reading of lines. I didn't see much range from her. I do like the little twitch on her face when she notices Oskar's cut. A good portion of the dialog is delivered while we don't see Eli's face, so the actress that dubbed the lines is as responsible for this scene as Lina.

Chloë is just wonderful here as we get a couple of key moments from the character. Curiosity, sadness, trepidation, resignation, concern are all present during this scene on her face. I especially like how she pauses at one point and says "Then I'll help you". It's an idea she comes up with on the spot. Her head movement is good there. Her interpretation of "I'm a lot stronger than you think I am" is what got her the part according to Matt Reeves. Other actresses delivered it in a boastful way, Chloë just states it as a fact of her being and certainly doesn't come off as proud of it. Kodi gives "But, you're a girl" just enough of an edge to work without it being an insult to Abby.

Direction
Something interesting I noticed. Reeves shows a shot of Owen running up to Abby at the beginning while Alfredson shows a shot of the kids running off at the end. Both serve to bring a "kid" vibe into it. Reeves chose to set up the scene with this while Alfredson may have meant it as a reminder at the end. Not sure either is "better". Depends on the feel you want from the scene I suppose. I do really like the overhead shot of Owen running up to Abby. Creative and interesting cinematography.

Alfredson gives us some moments where the kids are practicing Morse Code. That's not bad. But I like that Reeves skipped that and gave us more character moments instead. He apparently trusted us to know the kids would learn the Morse Code without telling us (more "subtle"! :cwink: ).

One of those character moments is one of my favorite moments in LMI and happens right away. Abby is drawn to Owen's copy of Romeo and Juliet and picks it up to look at it. She clearly knows of it from some point in her (distant?) past and feels very strongly about it. This humanizes her character. There is no reason for a "manipulative vampire" to love Romeo and Juliet so that was one of the moments that made me change my mind about Abby's intentions.

Naturally this flies right over Owen's head and he dismisses it by telling her how "boring" it is. (Owen has very little knowledge of how to relate to a girl obviously [wink]) As usual, Abby's moment of happiness is quickly extinguished. Reality intrudes upon her when she realizes that Owen can hear through her wall. She puts all thoughts of normality out of her head and slowly places Romeo and Juliet back in Owen's bag. The sad visage returns to Abby after being temporarily banished. That look on Abby's face breaks my heart completely in half.

I like how Alfredson cuts away to show the kids' hands at times. He had a "hands" theme going in LTROI and it works well. Emotions can be conveyed that way too. And shooting the kids up close was very good. We can see their emotion a little better. I like the choice to shoot them from the side, but wouldn't mind if he had been slightly more patient with the cutaways. Let me see the kids act more.

Two shots of the vampire putting his/her hand on the boy's hand. Two different meanings. Oskar pulls his hand away from Eli. There is still some distance there. He's not really overly affectionate in general in my view. Owen not only keeps his hand in place, but actually smiles at Abby at the very end. Going by what we later learn about Owen's "game", he may have been thinking of whipping out his knife and chopping his thumb off at that moment to impress her. :cwink: Owen just seems sweet here.

The shot of Hakan watching in his usual creepy way is a nice touch. One of the moments that made him seem like the jealous pedo to me. There is no equivalent shot in LMI.

One thing I really like that Reeves did here. He allows the kids to act more than Alfredson did. Reeves had two kids who excel at speaking without words so he let them do their thing. There are more moments when the kids are thinking in LMI while the kids in LTROI often say the next line without pauses. It's a subtle difference. Like when Eli quickly answers that "Then I'll help you" without having to think about it. It happens almost before Oskar can finish his line....she was ready to say that to him obviously. If it was meant to be that way by Alfredson, it gives me the feeling Eli was ready with that idea beforehand. Abby hadn't given it much thought beforehand since she actually pauses and looks away to think about it before saying it. Another one of the moments that made me believe Abby is sincere in her affection for Owen.

The LMI scene is 30 seconds longer. More Abby and Owen is a good thing in my opinion. This sort of thing no doubt is what led some movie-goers to proclaim LMI to be "slow". Sometimes you gotta stop and smell the roses though. This story benefits from "slow"....let it take its time building.

Edge
I found the LMI version much more appealing here. Again the acting tipped the balance along with the nice character building moments and dialog. At this point of the movie I really start to "like" the characters in LMI more than their counterparts in LTROI and the gap is growing.

Scene 2:Candy

Cinematography
The LTROI version is shot entirely outside the shop while half the LMI version is inside the store. We get a lot more colors in the store obviously. Ms Pacman and the candy add to the color palette. LTROI sticks with it's more stark scheme. "Warm" and "cold" again.

Music
Nothing except ambient sound in LTROI until some nice guitar comes in at the very end. (That's really for the next scene though) Culture Club in LMI. (plus Chloë's brother dressed like Boy George behind the counter...probably his "boom box" playing) I do like how the Culture Club lightens the mood in LMI. An innocent and fun music. Then "First Date Jitters" plays during the hugging....which I think is gorgeous music.

Acting

I again thought Kare carried the LTROI scene. Lina is also pretty good here though. But most of the interesting stuff happens on his face. Little things like the way the dubbing actress says "Sorry" in a lifeless way can't be blamed on Lina. Lina's best moment is when Oskar is hugging her. I like how you can see her thought process. There is an interesting confusion on her face there.

The LMI kids dominated this one for me. Chloë performance at Ms Pacman and during the hugging work for me far better than anything Lina did. Of course Reeves made sure to give Kodi and Chloë more opportunity to act.

Reeves made sure we saw Chloë watching Owen while he was playing. We see a warm look, then another warm look....then finally she seems to catch herself and look downward as if she realized how stupid she is for even thinking she could be normal. More fleeting happiness for Abby and a great moment in LMI.

Kodi's sweetness, earnestness, disappointment, and happiness while offering Abby candy is just great acting by any standard. The look on his face when he sees that Abby got sick is also something he can show to future directors who want to hire him.

Direction

One of my favorite moments in LTROI here. Seeing the cat in the window spitting at Eli...who is only seen in reflection. That's well done. I like the way she just turns and walks away without reaction...disappearing from the window. Eli then stands some distance away and stares at the sky. One can only imagine what she/he is thinking about there. "I hate cats!" or maybe something darker. Hard to tell from Eli's face.

The beginning of the LMI scene isn't in LTROI. Additionally, the scene is set up by another scene not in LTROI where Owen is shown stealing money from his mother's purse...and finally noticing Jesus is watching him. All part of Reeve's "Nature of good and evil" theme. Owen is the "good guy"...but he steals...and then is shown feeling guilt as Jesus busts his "evil". So we know where Owen got the money...by defying Jesus! :woot: But the theft results in one of the happiest moments in LMI. Reeves loves to turn these things on their head.
I love this little addition in the arcade because....we get to see Abby happy. She smiles...and laughs. That's a rare treasure in this story. Owen is spending his ill-gotten gains on video games and candy...so Abby gets exposed to pop culture again via Owen. Not sure if it was a conscious choice, but Ms Pacman being the game is interesting. A female character on the run and eating other characters? But Ms Pacman dies at the end...thanks to Owen's ineptitude. How about that for some thought food?
Also interesting that Owen does not appear to play Ms Pacman very much...he's bad at it. I think he only suggested it because he saw the couple making out in that exact spot earlier in the film. Owen "the watcher" trying to duplicate the situation with he and Abby?

Reeves put the great moment with Abby watching Owen here. One of the character moments for Abby that helped convince me her motivation is emotional.

I also like that we move "forward in time" (by the fact that a different Culture Club song is playing) and Abby is laughing as they walk to the candy counter. I like thinking they were having a great time through a whole album while playing video games. Maybe Abby got to try it too. A talent for puzzles could come in handy with Ms Pacman.

A character moment for both Oskar and Owen is contained in these scenes. Oskar's candy offer is a simple "Here". Owen's candy offer is, "Want some? They're really good...they're my favorite...they're really really good." Owen is more friendly and is more like novel Oskar in some ways than movie Oskar is. (candy fiend)
After the refusal, Oskar gives up immediately when Eli refuses the candy. "Too bad". A little of that mean streak surfaces again with him. Owen doesn't give up. He persists by offering Abby something else "anything you want". He REALLY wants her to like his candy...but is more interested in making her happy no matter what it takes. Just a sweet kid.
When the vampire character agrees to try the candy, Oskar almost shows a contempt with his reaction. Note the little lip purse. He chuckles at the end, but I don't know if he's glad Eli tried it or is laughing AT Eli. Owen is visibly happy....he looks like he grows an inch taller! This of course translates into Abby being happy too. She smiles as well. A nice "warm" moment between the two character that have endeared themselves to me by this point.

No indication of whether or not Eli actually likes the candy in LTROI since Alfredson cuts away immediately. Abby smiles and tells Owen she likes it. I like that little detail. I can't help wondering if this is the very first time she has tried candy. Her smile does begin to fade at the very end...tummy troubles may have been cropping up.

The hugging part means something different in each movie to me. Owen has been shown to be a sweet kid the whole time, it makes sense he would do that. With Oskar, it's out of character. It's a change for him. I see it as part of his redemption by Eli. Again the two characters are very different.

Reeves choose to have a close-up of Owen reacting to Abby's sickness and Abby saying "Sorry" whereas Alfredson stayed in a long shot. I like the close-up because I want to see what the actors do there. Kodi and Chloë were again expected to carry the moment and did a great job.

Edge
We get more than a minute more Abby and Owen than we got Eli and Oskar. That's a big plus for me. More warmth and character building moments appeal to me. I also love the setup with Jesus beforehand and the additional scene of Abby and Owen walking home and holding hands afterward. (That's when Abby finally shows her playful side) LTROI cuts away to Oskar on a bus instead. I'm going with LMI all the way on this one with no hesitation.
 
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It's really good. But it does get VERY creepy at times. One scene that takes place in the basement will linger in your mind. :) Neither movie touched that scene.
There is an online Let Me In viewing planned for tomorrow night at about 8-9pm est if anyone is interested.

You'll need:
1-a copy of the movie
2-Skype (free download and free to use) http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/get-skype/

Go to www.bemealittle.com and go to the chat room (you'll need to register like with most chat rooms of course).

We all jump on Skype together and push "play" on the movie at the same time. A running commentary then commences with much hilarity, silliness, and occasional true insight. We've got people from all over showing up....from Mexico to Australia.

Might give it a read if I can get hold of it then, would be interesting to read after seeing both movies.
 
2011 Saturn Awards: http://www.saturnawards.org/


Best Horror/Thriller Film:
LET ME IN (LMI beat out Black Swan among others)

Best Performance by a Younger Actor:
CHLOE GRACE MORETZ (Let Me In) (Beating out co-star and co-nominee Kodi Smit-Mcphee as well as True Grit's Hailee Steinfeld)
 
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http://collider.com/matt-reeves-the-passage-this-dark-endeavor/98526/
“You know I never would have guessed I would be making science fiction and horror films. That kind of stuff. They were the kind of movies that frankly as a kid scared the hell out of me and so I really had a hard time watching them… I never thought I would be making them and then after Cloverfield happened it obviously created a lot of opportunity for me to do those kind of films. I discovered the fun of genre is…you get to explore your fears and you get to use the metaphor of the genre – whether it’s a giant monster or a… 12-year-old vampire. Whatever it is you can sink something underneath the surface and make a personal film under the guise of great fun romp.”​
What’s Next
There’s a few things I’m doing – there’s a project called The Passage, which is a novel by Justin Cronin and I’m developing that and that’s one I might direct. There’s one called This Dark Endeavor, which is a young Victor Frankenstein – kind of a creation myth. It’s a book that’s coming out this summer by Kenneth Oppel. It’s a terrific book and Jacob Estes is writing that. Jason Keller is writing The Passage and I myself am doing a script I hope to direct as well for Universal, which is based on a short story by Ray Nelson called Eight O’Clock In The Morning, which was actually the source material for John Carpenter’s They Live but it won’t have anything to do with the original They Live.​
On Super 8 and similarities to Cloverfield
“We (J.J. Abrams and Reeves) met in an 8mm film festival when we were thirteen years old and the movie the way it affects me most profoundly is not – I know people when Super 8 was first announced [thought] is this the Cloverfield sequel? – but really I know it’s about his (Abrams) childhood and I shared so much of that time with him. When I saw that movie, in addition to loving the movie, when it got to the end titles and it had that film the kids had made [it was] just so evocative of the films J.J. and I made when we were kids that it blew me away.”​
On thematic similarities between Let Me In and the Columbine tragedy
“What it made me think of was this idea of alienation and being on the outside and these feeling you can’t express being bottled up. [It] definitely made me think of Columbine. So without being too direct about it – that was the first thing that came to mind: the idea of what should be an ideal American suburb in Colorado and nature and should be a place of what you would imagine [of] classic Americana but under the surface was isolation and loneliness. That was really the inspiration of why it was in Colorado in the script.”​
Video of the interview embedded also where he confirms that the ending is ambiguous, what he's doing next, the Saturn award, among other things. (Matt looks like he's gotten into shape!....and looks a little like John Lennon) His passion for film really comes through in several spots.
 
this was such a fantastic film, its cool to see some of the thought process by reeves, he really proved himself as someone to keep an eye on with this film.
 
^Definately, after Cloverfield and especially Let Me In, Reeves is a director whose movies I will always have an interest in now, cant wait to see what he decides on next.
 
I'd like to see MS give him a job in a Marvel movie. Not sure which he'd fit best but I think he could do a good one.
 
I dont know how long it's been on but this is on NEtflix Instant Stream now
 
It's also on Starz now....I think. After Super 8, this movie's Amblin tones I appreciate even more.
 
I'd like to see MS give him a job in a Marvel movie. Not sure which he'd fit best but I think he could do a good one.
That's the best idea I've heard in weeks!

For some reason Daredevil springs to mind...but he's not a Marvel property at the moment. :csad:
 
Next scene up at: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xhpee1_let-me-in-let-the-right-one-in -comparison-part-3_shortfilms

Caretaker getting ready

These scenes are good ones for mining clues to the relationships between the Caretaker and vampire characters. There is a lot of raw emotion on display. As usual, the characters appear to be very different to me in the two movies.

An important change is how the two scenes are prefaced. In LTROI Oskar is shown spending time with his dad before the scene begins....which means the scene has to take place at least the next night after Eli and Oskar spend time together at the candy store.

In LMI, the scene takes place immediately after Owen and Abby return from the candy store. It is prefaced with the scene of them walking home together talking, holding hands, and Abby finally showing a "playful" side by beating Owen to the door while he isn't looking.

The separation between those scenes in LTROI alters the feel of it. Abby walks in with the emotions fresh on her mind and it is connected emotionally to the arcade scene. The scene takes place at least the following night in LTROI so there is no immediate connection to the candy scene.

The LMI scene is 45% longer. 1:25 (LTROI) to 2:03 (LMI) Another scene that belies the idea often expressed that LMI is "faster paced" than LTROI.

Cinematography
LTROI version is very brightly lit as if by florescent lighting. Creates a light casual mood. You almost feel like you're in someone's kitchen watching things unfold. I like it.

LMI goes for a darker, more eerie vibe that greatly aids the sadness expressed by the actors. More cinematic and "arty". And as is usually the case, the LMI lighting is "warmer". The more intimate feel of the scene in LMI is due partly to this.

I don't know that I prefer one greatly over the other. Each does something different and each one works with the different characters.

Dialog
This is where Hakan announces to the audience what the acid is for in case you're one of those people that can't figure it out on your own. [wink] Also another one of the clues to Hakan's backstory. This tells us that he hasn't been with Eli very long if he has to tell her/him that.

One exchange didn't quite make sense. When Hakan explains to Eli what the acid is for, she/he suggests that "Maybe you shouldn't". He then says "What else am I good for?" I wonder if there is a problem with translation there. Sounded clumsy. You would think Eli was saying "Maybe you shouldn't use the acid" but that would make his answer odd. If Eli is saying "Maybe you shouldn't go kill for me" that would make his response more logical but would mean Eli brushed aside his acid comment. The Magnolia subs have Hakan say, "Where else would you be?" That's odd too. Maybe he really said, "Where would you be if I didn't?" or something equivalent. That would make the whole thing work better. The line, "What else am I good for" makes it sound like Hakan is fishing for sympathy and or affection from Eli....which he probably is.

The "Could you not see that boy tonight?....Please?" does not sound as demanding a request as Thomas' "Please don't see that boy again...okay?". Hakan is asking a pleading question, Thomas is making a more "parental" request. Hakan words it as "one night", Thomas words it like "never again". Another reason to think Hakan is a more recent arrival on the scene than Thomas. Thomas is a bit more ambitious with his request. That along with Thomas' more aggressive attitude toward Abby indicates to me that Hakan occupies a more tenuous position than Thomas does.

Abby approaches Thomas immediately after entering the apartment and starts the conversation with "You going out?" Just one of those simple little things you ask people when you want to talk. Like "watching a movie?" when the person is obviously sitting there watching a movie. Thomas is not in a talkative mood however and gives Abby a cold look and answers back with, "Is there a choice?" My feeling is that Thomas is striking back at Abby here for the previous scene where she runs him out of the room so she could talk with Owen through the wall.

Since Thomas doesn't have to explain about the acid to Abby, that indicates these two have been living together for a long time....she knows full well what it means.


Acting
Per Ragnar is pretty good here. Not spectacular, but he is very good at being "creepy" and does project that for us when Eli strokes his cheek. I can't help thinking "sexual pleasure" when Eli touches him. He looks directly at Eli after asking him/her to not see Oskar and after she/he touches his face as if trying gauge Eli's thoughts. He looks very nervous when asking Eli not to see Oskar and sad for a moment when Eli ignores his request that he/she not see Oskar. The main thing I get from him here is how aloof and unperturbed he seems about his task. Just another day at the office. Per happily munches on an apple during his scene and goes about the business of preparing as if he were making lunch instead of prepping to go kill someone. I almost expect him to start whistling a happy tune when he rubs his hands together. Hakan even goes back to munching his apple at the end after Eli had stroked his cheek. So he's sad, but not for long. A happy go lucky guy. :yay:

Richard Jenkins is...Richard Jenkins. I won't hold it against Per that he isn't Richard. Very few actors can keep up with that. His Thomas is far from happy go lucky. Thomas appears to have the weight of the world on his shoulders. You just know he wouldn't be able to munch on an apple...probably has no appetite. I get the sense he is still stinging from being run out of the room so Abby could talk with Owen. Jenkins doesn't look at Abby in a sexual way during the face touching...in fact he seems to be looking at the ground the entire time while they shared a tender moment. It was like the 40+ years have beaten him down. ...A 40 years I could feel in his performance even before I knew about the photo. Richard doesn't "get over it" like Per did, he slumps over the kitchen sink at the end as if kicking himself for asking Abby to give up her friend.

Lina walks by in the background and appears to just be wandering around as if bored. I'm pretty sure we hear her singing or humming to herself. She seems to approach Hakan very nonchalantly as if not having anything better to do. Lina looks sick in this scene. The makeup being the reason for that. (I like the makeup) Lina isn't shown in closeup until the latter half of the scene so doesn't have to do much. Her closeup time is 9 seconds total. We see her right after Hakan asks her not to see Oskar. Lina looks like she is thinking about what to say in response at first...like a person would when just asked to do something they don't want to do (can't blame her/him)...and then very briefly strokes Per's face before turning and walking away. Pretty pedestrian stuff from Lina here for my money. I keep getting the sense that she is merely hitting a mark. The moment when she turns to walk away struck me as her running out of acting gas or something. This could just be because I don't like what her reactions could mean for the character of Eli. The whole scene suggests he/she doesn't care about Hakan very much. No emotion toward him...just as a reaction to the unwelcome request. She/he walks away very quickly at the end.

Chloë is asked to do much more than Lina was. The scene is 2 minutes long. Her total closeup time in this scene is 42 seconds! Richard Jenkins has commented on how he fed off her performance in this scene. That face of hers is powerful as she looks up at Thomas. A world of sadness and regret is projected there. Her intent is to approach Thomas from the second she enters. No aimless wandering from her. (Because of the aforementioned connection to the candy scene with Owen) And she appears affectionate toward him from the beginning as well. Like Eli Abby is asked to do something she doesn't want to do. Chloe doesn't turn and walk away after pulling her hand away from Thomas' face, she lingers by him as if not sure what to do or say. It is actually Thomas that moves away from her. Abby slowly walks away after that while looking back at Thomas mournfully.


Direction and thoughts

Alfredson apparently wanted Hakan to be unaffected by what he is about to do. A valid choice, but it doesn't cause me care for the Hakan character very much. That's not saying that Alfredson wanted me to care about him. I would say he clearly didn't want me to care about Hakan. A very stark contrast to how Thomas is portrayed in LMI. Thomas looks stricken by both his task and the sadness of the deteriorating relationship with Abby.

Both Abby and Eli receive an unwelcome request from their companions. The timing of the "face touching" is interesting here. Abby touches Thomas' face before he asks, Eli touches Hakan's face after he asks. It is worth debating what that means. For me Abby is reacting to the unwelcome request like a 12 year old child would. She becomes less affectionate. Eli reacts like an adult would. In a very calculated way, he/she gives affection after the unwelcome request...It's almost like Eli is doing it to placate him....as you would a child or a pet. The brief stroke of Hakan's face did seem like "petting" more than "love" to me. Abby appears to not know exactly what to do after Thomas makes the unwelcome request. She stands there for a moment. Again like a child would act. Eli knew exactly what to do and acted quickly...and left even more quickly. I like the Abby character more, but the colder Eli character is a valid one since Hakan appears to be a more parasitic companion than Thomas....and less worthy of affection. It totally makes sense that Eli would not care for him.

Abby shows affection toward Thomas from the first frame of the scene. Having her entering immediately after returning home from being with Owen suggests to me her motivation is remembering the good times her and Thomas had decades earlier. Abby enters the door and goes directly to Thomas. This is a much better choice to me because the emotion from the previous scene is still fresh in our minds and we can transfer that to Abby. Also, in LTROI, Hakan speaks to Eli first....in LMI, Abby speaks to Thomas first. The subtle differences mean a lot.

I was curious, so I compared the duration of some elements of this scene to explain why they feel so different. Alfredson has Eli touch Hakan's cheek for about 3 seconds. The total time from when Hakan asks Eli to not see Oskar til she/he turns to leave is 22 seconds. Eli shows interest in Hakan for 0:49 of the 1:25 runtime. Only 58% of the scene that is shorter to begin with. This makes Eli look fairly disinterested in Hakan to me.

Reeves had Abby keep her hand on Thomas' cheek for 23 seconds. Abby puts her hand on Thomas' arm for 13 seconds prior to that as well. The time from when Thomas asks Abby to not see Owen til she turns to leave is 27 seconds. Abby shows interest in Thomas for 1:48 of the 2:03 runtime. That's 88% of the longer scene. This makes Abby look very affectionate and connected to Thomas for me.

Timing this helps me understand why a less patient movie-watcher would find LMI to be "slow". LMI does not get in a hurry. It allows things to breathe.

Edge
One of the key scenes that convinces me that Hakan and Eli do not share the same lifelong bond that Thomas and Abby do. This being an "emotional scene"...it's telling that it is so much longer in LMI. There is simply more emotion between them to explore.

I obviously like the LMI scene much much better. But mostly because it helps me like Thomas and Abby more than LTROI helped me like Hakan and Eli. Neither of the LTROI pair come off very sympathetic in this scene while both Thomas and Abby project a great sadness. The atmosphere being more intimate in LMI contributed to that along with everything else. It's very important that Thomas is a sympathetic character for the "nature of good and evil" theme and so Reeves can trick us into rooting for Thomas as he tries to kill someone in an upcoming scene.
 
Absolutly love this movie, completed underated man. The atmosphere is perfect the setting is beutiful and it's easily the best movie of 2010 for me. This needs way more credit than its getting. Shows that vampire's are sympathetic and terrifying at the same time unlike a certain book series.
 

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