SSFF&ASIA Staff Blog Modern Lovers ~ Jim Jarmuschs Only Lovers Left Alive Just this weekend I had the chance to watch “Only Lovers Left Alive.” I had been waiting eagerly to see this film as I am a fan of the director, Jim Jarmusch, the lead actress, Tilda Swinton, and the musician whose compositions sculpt the aural landscape of the film, Dutch lute player Jozef van Wissem. I am also a fan of (good) vampire movies! Set against a contemporary backdrop, this modern vampire film is not about creepy violence and antiquated coffins, rather it prioritizes sensuality, sensitivity and love, much as the title would suggest. It takes place predominantly at night and centers around the relationship between the enigmatic Eve and her reclusive husband Adam. Having influenced countless musicians, writers and scientists throughout the centuries, this vampire couple and their friends lament the state of the modern world and the “zombies” (i.e. humans) who roam it in their masses. Adam lives as an underground musician in Detroit and seems to have hit rock bottom, no longer able to tolerate his blood bank fueled existence even if it is among a wealth of vintage instruments and recording equipment. Upon realizing the situation, Eve leaves her comfortable life in Tangier and gets on the next night flight to Detroit. Their marital bliss following her arrival, however, is soon interrupted by the arrival of Eve’s lively young sister Eva. Things seem to go downhill from there... With some exquisite acting from the leads as well as from supporting actors such as John Hurt and Mia Wasikowska, the script of this cool and contemporary romance comes to life in an enrapturing alternative reality. Music plays a large part in both the storyline and the overall atmosphere on the film. This may be because whilst Jarmusch is a renowned independent movie maker, he is also a respected musician on the underground scene; his band SQÜRL created much of the score alongside van Wissem, and there is even a cameo performance by Lebanese vocalist Yasmine Hamdan. The filming took place over just 7 weeks with location shooting in Detroit, America; Tangier, Morocco; and Hamburg and Cologne, Germany, though the film had originally been announced in 2010. Jarmusch reportedly spoke of the struggle in finding funding for the project at Cannes Film Festival 2013, where his film premiered In Competition. Members of the crew have commented that this film is strongly personal for Jarmusch, “maybe autobiographical” in part. Besides being a love story, is presents the malaise of the archetypal jaded artist figure in contemporary society. Indeed, it’s surprising to hear that even established cult directors such as Jarmusch have trouble finding financial support for their projects. Arguably this must be rather a worrying prospect for new and upcoming filmmakers, but one of the many plus sides of the short film form is that funding becomes a slightly more manageable task. Which reminds me, the idea for Jarmuschs famed feature Coffee and Cigarettes (2003) came from his short film Coffee and Cigarettes: Strange to Meet You (1986), commissioned as a Saturday Night Live sketch. - By J.J.H.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 05:23:33 +0000
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