Les Misérables: The Staged Concert

Frankly, I haven't liked many of the vampire movies that hit the theatres in the recent past. They had very little substance, apart from gore and blood. The only upside was the superb special effects. One did not however feel they were `real' characters, if you can use that term for a bloodthirsty vampire. Into this arid cinematic landscape comes Let the Right One In, a Swedish movie that tells the moving story of a young vampire. The hauntingly beautiful story is rather simple - the vampire girl Eli ("I have been 12 for a long time"), develops a relationship with Oskar, a 12-year-old boy who is tormented by classmates at his Stockholm school. Their relationship blossoms in a frozen landscape, amidst the frenzy of murder necessitated by Eli's thirst for blood and Oskar's travails at school. It is a voyage of discovery for both protagonists in the movie - they learn the finer points of life (and death) from each other. The viewer immediately warms up to both characters, played brilliantly by the two first-time leads. It is hard not to sympathise with Oskar, who finally learns to `handle' his tormentors the hard way on Eli's advice. Eli is one vampire you do not hate - her life is one long struggle for blood, company and love. The film does have gore - but it is not the primary focus. It has plenty of blood, but in the director's hand it becomes the conduit through which the two characters bond. Oskar stands by Eli even after learning that she is a vampire. If that is not love, what is ? In that context, The Right One is a love story par excellence. The one thing that could have prevented Oskar from reaching out to Eli instead becomes their greatest strength. In one instance, Oskar saves Eli's life from a potential killer. The would-be killer ends up being a source of blood for Eli. She repays her gratitude in the final sequences of the film. Indeed, the eerie swimming pool scene is one of the finest moments of horror seen on film recently. As for the technical aspects of the film, the cinematography is nothing short of excellent. It captures the desolate and snowy landscape of Sweden so well that one cannot help feeling the cold. The special effects are excellent for a non-Hollywood film. I am sure they will have better special effects in the forthcoming American remake, but will it retain the `soul' of this Swedish masterpiece? The acting is uniformly good too. There is no doubt that two leads will get more roles in Swedish and foreign films in the future. There is a great debate on the Internet about the subtitle translation, but I did not encounter any problems on this Optimum release. Having no knowledge of Swedish, I cannot say whether it is the best available, but it worked for me and I had no trouble comprehending the dialogues. Of course, one always has to take into account that in any language, there are subtle nuances, play on words and unique idioms and expressions that may not lend themselves so well to translation in to another language. I have also not read the book, so I do not know how faithful the film is to the book (I know some changes have been done). But taken on its own, the film is well paced. This could be due to the fact that the author of the book has written the movie script as well. Technically, the DVD is brilliant and the blu-ray must be even better. There were hardly any artefacts in the many night scenes. The sound is not demo material, but the engineers have crafted it well to match the `atmosphere' conveyed in the film. In short, this is one film you should have in your DVD/blu-ray library. It is a remarkable piece of contemporary cinema, one that you would not forget for a long time. It will require the full attention of your mind - and the heart - for 110 minutes, but it's worth every second. Films like this come along only rarely, so treasure it while you can.

It is the best Les Miserables video I have seen of this film, worth every penny.

I like horror. Good horror. Horror stories and films that make you care about the characters. Original stories, also, stories with a unique approach. Stories with a lot of atmosphere. Stories and films which create tension and dread with subtle means, stories which target the subconscious of the reader/viewer. At least three of these qualities should be present, the first one being essential. LET THE RIGHT ONE IN has many of these qualities. I saw this movie a couple of months ago in the theater (a terrible copy) and couldn't wait to see it again, for I knew there was much in that film still to be discovered. I bought it on Blu Ray and watched it again, and wasn't disappointed. For many reasons. It's a strange film which can be regarded both as a youth film and a horror movie. It's a film that doesn't rely on cheap gore and (by now predictable) shock effects. It uses CGI sparingly, only when necessary. The photography/composition is singular (European?). The locations, season (cold winter), interiors create an atmosphere of alienation, of mental desolation. The music is a unique blend of suspense and melancholy. And then there are the characters. Young teenagers, timid, uncertain, desperate for some love and sympathy in a cold (war) world. The acting by the two main characters is remarkable, modest yet convincing (not to forget the eyes and voice of Eli (Lina Leandersson), this alone is worth seeing this horror film - and on Blu Ray it's even more mesmerizing). The pace is slow, yet the film never bores, for the characters get you under a spell. Scandinavian films have a great tradition in psychological study and youth cinema, which shows in LET THE RIGHT ONE IN. So, I wonder, why does this film need an American remake? Big bucks, of course. I'm not going to see it. Something splendid doesn't need a remake. I simply don't want to spoil the magic.

Y pensar que al cabo de 35 años LES miserables nos sigue emocionando! Fantástico reparto con mención especial de afecto para Michael Ball

Concert was excellent

The best! Life changing when it comes to performance

this was a gift that the recipient is very pleased with

Revu cette comédie musicale avec plaisir