5/10
Promising start before it goes kaput....
23 April 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I'm a big fan of vampire films, despite how the Twilight movies and numerous clones all but ruined the genre for me. So I had high hopes for this German movie about 3 female vampires who adopt a new girl into their all girls club. The opening sequence is quite spectacular, the soundtrack an alluring mix of classical and techno, all scenes are beautifully shot. Lena is a scruffy looking delinquent who we first see pickpocketing a Russian pimp, then gets chased by a young cop who of course becomes unbelievably smitten by her, and just manages to escape.

Lena then wanders into a rave and catches the eye of Louise, who's been searching for the special one for a very long time. After Louise bites her and she's given blood to drink she undergoes an incredible transformation from tomboyish rogue into a beautiful woman. She gets spoiled by everything money can buy (fancy clothes, expensive restaurants and a Lamborghini). Then after the allure of the wealthy night life, full of partying and speeding around in expensive cars, Lena quickly becomes unglued when the women kill some night guards {where did she think their blood came from before they drank from the pretty glasses?}. Eventually the police squad descends upon them, and things aren't so fun anymore.

The first half of the film is quite engaging, seeing Lena's transformation and seduction into a lascivious lifestyle. I particularly liked Jennifer Ulrich, who plays Charlotte, by far the most beautiful and interesting actress in the film. I think the story would have been more interesting had they explored the vampires long history together more in depth, and worked on more character development. Unfortunately the last half descends into sappy Twilight territory. The policeman who looks more like a pretty-boy-actor playing a cop than a real cop keeps popping up in the story and the ending is disappointingly weak. What's most disturbing is how the movie reminds me of one of those 1970's vampire movies, where the lesbian element is merely a plot device, intended only to tantalize, but never seriously takes form. The female protagonist is lead astray by the beautiful lesbian vampire, but of course gets rescued in the end by the dashing male hero and the big bad lesbian vamp gets vanquished, and you pretty much see this predictable outcome way before the movie ends. The film makers had the chance to produce something unique but it ends without much bite.

Jennifer Ulrich, the great soundtrack and some stylish cinematography are the only reasons I'd rate it has high as a 5/10.
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