Johns Hopkins Newsletter LTROI Review

For discussion of Tomas Alfredson's Film Låt den rätte komma in
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a_contemplative_life
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Johns Hopkins Newsletter LTROI Review

Post by a_contemplative_life » Sat Jan 14, 2017 8:07 pm

I'm assuming we missed this review from last October ...

Johns Hopkins Newsletter Review of LTROI
What truly sets the film apart is its ability to convey raw emotion through stark yet hauntingly beautiful cinematography. Alfredson keeps his shots simple and imbues them with an incredible stillness that creates an atmosphere of deceptive peacefulness and lurking darkness. Frequent wide shots of barren snow and the lack of pedestrians emphasize the overall sense of isolation and loneliness. Furthermore, the simplicity also lends a feeling of detachment that accentuates the emotions. Amongst the muted colors, the impact of each scene is jarringly clear and poignant.

This simple aesthetic is combined with seamless acting to create the film’s trademark eeriness. Oskar and Eli are both painted as young children pushed to do unimaginable things such as brutally murdering people and gradually developing callous attitudes towards violence. (Not sure where the author got the impression that Oskar "brutally murdered" anyone, but oh well..)

It is their near impassiveness to murder, more so than the gruesome deaths themselves, that sends shivers down your spine. The actors who played Oskar and Eli put on such a convincing performance that this eeriness never faltered or felt forced throughout the entire film.

On top of the haunting cinematography and exceptional acting, the main themes of the film itself are also highly memorable. Although it is categorized as a horror movie, the film is far from the senselessly gory films that often dominate the horror genre. It instead focuses on the profound idea of what makes us truly human.

Its themes of love, sacrifice, isolation and vengeance are depicted in a way that, even during the bloodiest moments of the film, you find yourself sympathizing with Oskar’s deeply human struggles. His intense loneliness and his desire to be loved is something that we can all relate to, and by the time the credits roll, you realize you’ve formed a heartfelt attachment to the character.
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Re: Johns Hopkins Newsletter LTROI Review

Post by Nightrider » Sun Jan 15, 2017 3:07 am

Oskar and Eli are both painted as young children pushed to do unimaginable things such as brutally murdering people and gradually developing callous attitudes towards violence.
I'm puzzled by this paragraph and it's origins as well.
Otherwise it's a basic positive review... the kind we've seen many times before.
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Re: Johns Hopkins Newsletter LTROI Review

Post by dongregg » Sun Jan 15, 2017 7:24 am

...by the time the credits roll, you realize you’ve formed a heartfelt attachment to the character.
And to Eli, bless her little heart. Several notes were a little off. Eli was clearly troubled about having to kill. Don't know if she just thought it was icky or never lost track of the idea from her childhood that killing is a bad thing. But...eh...we don't need to know everything to understand that Eli at last has an opportunity to recover something of the child that she was.
And to be happy. Genuinely happy in Oskar's company.
“For drama to deepen, we must see the loneliness of the monster and the cunning of the innocent.”

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Re: Johns Hopkins Newsletter LTROI Review

Post by ltroifanatic » Mon Jan 16, 2017 11:23 pm

The review got a few things wrong but the rest is very good.By the end of this exceptional movie I was cheering for the kids and especially Eli who have been able to find,in spite of everything,some normality and peace and of course,love. :wub:
Please Oskar.Be me for a little while.

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