User Reviews

This poster drew me to this film. Not the poster shown here on IMDb, but the colorful green, yellow and red which are used other places. I wasn't expecting too much, but was surprise ad when I saw the casting, and that it was a Neil Jordan-flick. I've admired Jordan since I saw The Crying Game.

This story reminds me quite a bit about the Swedish "Låt den retta komma in" ("Let the right one in"). It has the right realism which made the the Swedish film so special, and the same coloring tone. The scenery in the beautiful harbor tine of Hastings are perfect, and it really made me want to visit there, which I will, most certainly. Combined with the Dickens inspired older sessions in the movie.

If there were justice in this works, this would have had the success of "Twilight", or rather instead of. It's very British, stylish, bleak, beautiful, and the casting is simply perfect, like it seems in all British films.

The idea is simply brilliant, and I love the idea of vampires running a brothel, as well as the depth of the longing for a different life. It's desperate.

Saoirse Ronan is once again electric, and the third film I've seen in a short time with Caleb Landry Jones (both fabulous, "Antiviral" and "Contraband") convinces me he is a big star in the making. Gemma Atherton is perfect.

I found the storytelling excellent, and I was very entertained all way through, though this isn't really my type of story. I think the ancient part of the story is good, but I think the red bloody waterfall is a bit over the top, and also slows the story and the believability. But otherwise this is grand film making.

In the present days, the lonely sixteen year-old Eleanor "Ella" Webb (Saoirse Ronan) and his sexy and protective mother Clara (Gemma Arterton) are vampires for two hundred years. When a dangerous stranger hunts Clara down, she severes his head, burns her apartment and flees with Ella to a coastal town. Clara meets the lonely Noel (Daniel Mays) that is grieving the loss of his mother and is completely broken. He lodges them in his derelict Byzantium, a former hotel and bed-and-breakfast that belonged to his mother. Clara sees the chance to make money for Noel and she with a brothel. Eleanor befriends the teenager Frank (Caleb Landry Jones), who has leukemia, and they fall in love with each other. Meanwhile two strangers are tracking Clara through the deaths of their victims. Eleanor is tired of living on the run and decides to tell their secret to Frank, but there are parts in Clara's past that she does not know.

"Byzantium" is a classy and cult vampire movie directed by Neil Jordan that once again makes a great vampire movie. The story is disclosed in slow pace and the characters are very well constructed. The performances are top-notch and Clara has an amoral behavior while her daughter is the opposite, but there is explanation along the story. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Byzantium: Uma Vida Eterna" ("Byzantium: An Eternal Life")

Over the course of five years I think it's safe to say the reputation of vampires has been well and truly tarnished. Instead of being blood sucking beasts, audiences seem more interested in watching them make love and glisten in the sunlight, however that's were director Neil Jordan steps in. Admittedly Byzantium isn't the most traditional vampire movie, but that's not a problem, because the end result is a fresh, innovative take on the creatures that may have installed some credibility in the post Twilight era.

Essentially the main-plot of Byzantium follows the mother and daughter duo of Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan. The two continuously move from location to location due to them having to hide their secret that no-one is aware of, however upon seeking refuge at a rundown coastal area, their secret is uncovered, which results in their past calling for blood.

Now as I have said, in the last few years vampires have been getting a hard time. Whenever you see or hear of vampires these days, the first thing that usually comes to mind is that of Robert Pattison. Personally I am not a fan of the Twilight movies and I have to confess I was quite sceptical going into Byzantium, due to the supposed vampire themes. However, I am happy to report that Byzantium is an original, different and genuinely great movie that I would regard as one of my favourite films of the year so far.

The films concept is in my opinion superb. As soon as the film began I was invested. One thing that I liked in particular was that the film showcased rarely a dull moment. It is very well paced and the story is just great, with some rather intriguing flashback sequences being utilised brilliantly to connect all the dots.

Aside from being very well written, the films' setting is another factor as to what makes it so enjoyable. Personally I felt that the run-down coastal setting was just superb. Not only because it sets the tone and feel of the movie, but it just gave it that added creepiness that you would expect from a movie like this.

The cinematography is very good and in terms of visuals I think the film was one of the best looking that I have seen in a long time. Understandably the mood is very dark and occasionally quite Gothic, but again, not only is the seaside primitive in establishing that, some of the other locations really are just as good.

Aside from Jordan's fantastic direction, the thing I liked most about Byzantium was the acting from its two leading ladies. Beginning with Saoirse Ronan, as we all know she is a fantastic young actress who very rarely fails to come up with the goods. In this movie she is playing quite a reserved, intellectual who is quiet but intriguing nonetheless, whereas her on screen mother portrayed by Gemma Arterton is the exact opposite. Now I think it would be unfair to compare the two because although they are both playing vampires, they are very different characters to say the least. There's no two ways around it, Ronan is genuinely great in this movie, but I thought the real star of the show was Gemma Arterton, who I felt was absolutely fantastic. In my opinion Arterton showed a very different side to her normal self in this movie. Whilst I wouldn't go as far as saying the role was too demanding, I have never seen her play a part like this, and honestly I think she should do it more often, because it has shown a massive amount of versatility on her part.

In terms of chemistry Ronan and Arterton work wonders on screen and if it wasn't for their performances I honestly think that this movie would have panned out very differently. So in terms of casting I think it's a job well done.

This really isn't the type of film that you're going to forget in a hurry. Personally I could watch it again and that really is saying something, as I rarely watch something more than once, however with that being said one final thing that I would like to touch upon would be the musical score.

Again this was another key factor in establishing the look and feel of the film and it really worked. This is a rare movie where everything just blends simultaneously and for that reason alone I most certainly feel it's worth investing two hours in.

Byzantium is a great movie that really makes me feel passionate as a critic. In a year where films have been slightly hit and miss, this film is definitely a hit. It has a great vision and knows exactly what it wants to be. Supported by two stand out performances this is British-Irish film-making at its near best and as I stated it is one of my favourite films of the year so far.

8.5/10

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'BYZANTIUM': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)

Another vampire tale from director Neil Jordan (who also directed the critically acclaimed 1994 film adaptation of Anne Rice's popular book 'INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE: THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES'). This movie is based on the play by Moira Buffini (she also wrote the screenplay) and tells the story of a mother and daughter vampire duo who have been on the run for 200 years. It stars Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan as the mother and daughter vampires and co-stars Sam Riley, Johnny Lee Miller, Caleb Landry Jones and Daniel Mays. It's a pretty standard vampire film with some nice directing and decent acting.

Arterton plays Clara and Ronan plays her daughter Elanor (even though she's only eight years younger than Arterton). They've remained the same age for 200 years (when they became vampires, that can live in the sun) and need human blood to survive. They're constantly on the run from other vampires (as they've broken their 'brotherhood's laws). Clara has now befriended the shy Noel (Mays) and is running a brothel out of his recently inherited rundown coastal hotel (the Byzantium). Elanor has fallen for a young waiter named Frank (Jones) and has begun exposing her and her mother's secrets to him, through (what he thinks) is a beautiful fictional story.

The movie looks good and Arterton (like always) is gorgeous in it. She makes a great femme fatale vampire and Ronan is decently cast as her sheltered daughter. Jordan's directing is fitting and the story is interesting, if you like vampire movies (although I didn't like it that these vampires can survive in the sun). It's nice to see a vampire movie about a mother and daughter for a change and the romance and male characters are pretty minimal. It's also interesting to see sympathetic vampires, in a film, that still kill and prey on innocent people. Very flawed heroes to say the least. It's nowhere near as classic as Jordan's 'INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE' but it's still a decent vampire flick.

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I didn't expect much when I started watching this, not least because I've always considered Saoirse Ronan to be a very overrated actor. But I was amazed by how very very good her superbly restrained performance was in this film. And a wonderfully inventive story kept me watching, despite not being a fan of vampire movies. Highly recommended.

A mother and daughter flee the mayhem they've caused in London and relocate on the Sussex coast. Clara (Gemma Arterton), a ruthless predator, opens a brothel on the top two floors of a Victorian sea-front hotel owned by a local weirdo (Daniel Mays) who's infatuated with her. Daughter Eleanor (Saoirse Ronan)befriends sickly teenager Frank (Caleb Landry Jones) and, to her mother's anger, tells him the truth about herself. A couple of creeps masquerading as cops are on the women's trail: in this revised vampire orthodoxy "The Brotherhood" doesn't allow lady members. Johnny Lee Miller plays Ruthven, a Georgian dandy who unintentionally recruited Clara 200 years ago. Tom Hollander has a thankless cameo as a New Age therapist.

Screenwriter Moira Buffini takes other liberties with the traditions of the Undead: instead of fangs they use an extending fingernail (borrowed from Wolverine?) to open up their victims. Much as he did in INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE, his previous foray into Bram Stoker territory, director Neil Jordan applies a highly individual approach to this "hallowed" (or should that be unhallowed?) ground. A glimpse of one of the more threadbare Hammer Dracula series on TV reminds us that things have moved on since Christopher Lee hung up his cape.

Inevitably we're going to compare this to Sweden's LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, the Swedish movie that reinvigorated the vampire genre a few years ago. The weakest link in BYZANTIUM is Gemma Arterton's performance: she plays Clara like an EastEnders barmaid (to be fair, the script encourages this interpretation: she's given some crudely modern lines), whereas Eleanor and Ruthven and the Brotherhood all seem to belong to the age in which they were spawned.

Still very worth seeing. Jordan's movie makes harmless Hastings (I lived there for five years) seem as spooky and dark as John Boulting's Brighton in the original BRIGHTON ROCK.

Eleanor Webb (Saoirse Ronan) writes her life story in her journal and then discards the pages. She tells an elderly man about Clara (Gemma Arterton). Clara works at a strip club and is chased by Werner. She would cut his head off. Meanwhile Eleanor kills the old man by sucking out all his blood. Eleanor finds Clara with the dead body and they have to go on the run. They escape to a coastal town and finds lonely Noel (Daniel Mays) who lets them stay at his deserted hotel Byzantium. She has a certain hold on men. Frank (Caleb Landry Jones) befriends the piano playing Eleanor. Clara is Eleanor's mother born some 200 years ago who was turned into a prostitute by Captain Ruthven (Jonny Lee Miller).

Director Neil Jordan brings a sense of emotional suffering into the vampire genre more than any of the young adult fare. It's much more of a character study and their internal struggles. There is sex but there is no sexiness to the story. It is about emotional pain. There is some blood splattering. This is mostly a depressed, moody, brutal take on the vampire. The start is a bit slow. It wallows in its moodiness too much. I like it to be more brutal physically to make its emotional brutality come out more. It would help to see Eleanor suffer as she sucks out blood. It would also help to show the bloodthirsty Clara a little sooner. She's a wild and crazy character. The build is a little too slow. Saoirse Ronan and Gemma Arterton are both terrific. Gemma does some of her best work. This movie has such a great mother daughter conflict.

This hype surrounding this movie made it sound good, but it was a boring mess, with a bloated run time and unlikable characters. No fangs, just a sharp thumbnail to open up throats is the only way to tell this movie is supernatural in the slightest. The vampires walk around in daylight with no problem. They don't even look pale. Would have vastly preferred the film to dispense with the painfully contrived modern day storyline and stay in the past. The mysterious vampire island shrine with the red waterfall and swirling flocks of bats was the only inspired touch in the whole film.

Neil Jordan's done some great stuff in the past (The Company of Wolves, The Borgias, etc.), but Byzantium isn't one of them. The only vampire movie more arty and boring than this was that awful one Abel Ferrara did back in the 90s.

... This is how to make a vampire film.

I find it difficult to fault this film. The plot is intelligent and engaging. No one is entirely black or white. The heroes are flawed and complicated, the villains, for the most part, have motivation and even sympathy. I found myself rooting for the murderous, vampiric prostitute as much for the innocent girl trapped into releasing those tired of life.

It's really two films, one set 200 hundred years ago, one in the present time, with many of the same characters and the same location, Hastings, once a fishing village, now a tired seaside resort.

The actors are very good, particularly the leads. As a resident of SE England, I recognised many of the locations. The ending was perhaps a little predictable, but still satisfying.

Don't go see this if you like your vampires to sparkle, but if you liked Let The Right One In and gritty drama, go watch it.

Director Neil Jordan's INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE: THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES (1994), based on a 1976 novel of the same name by Anne Rice, was one of the first films to break some of the ground rules known to exist within the cinematic realm of vampires. With no connection whatsoever, Jordan returns to the world of vampires by using his 1994 film as a selling point for BYZANTIUM – a modern vampire film that goes on to break more rules by turning vampire-ism into an enigma rather than feeding off existing myth. It works, for the most part, by using a slack definition of the word Byzantium – the transition of flawed ancient Europe into a more aesthetically pleasant but equally flawed modern Europe.

Conceptually, this works as a metaphor in relating the film's premise where a curse from the past clutches onto the heels of the present. It is this curse that causes Clara Webb (Gemma Arterton) and her daughter Eleanor (Saoirse Ronan) to flee from town to town every now and again. They have been doing this for over 200 years and for two reasons – Clara and Eleanor are the only female vampires that exist. This doesn't sit well with a misogynistic sect of all-male vampires that have formed a brotherhood. The other reason has more to do with how they feed. Clara is a creature of the night in more ways than one. Forced into prostitution during the Napoleonic wars, Clara is the bread winner as she continues to thrive by selling her body, and then draining the blood from her customers in the most gruesome manner imaginable. Eleanor doesn't approve of her mother's brutal feeding habits. Instead, she prefers subtle mercy killings by connecting with the elderly or terminally ill and saving them from their last days of misery and pain. While mother and daughter question each other's ethics, the body count piles on and so they must relocate frequently in an effort to evade assassins from the aforementioned brotherhood.

Just like its main characters, BYZNTIUM burns bridges from the past. Gone are the days when holy water, crucifixes, and other church relics were used to repel vampires. You won't find them galloping up trees or dashing through the woods either, and thankfully, none of the other puerility from the TWILIGHT franchise. What works here is the mood Jordan creates by generating a distinct aura around both these vampires. Hypnotic in their own way, Eleanor dwells in solitude, often chronicling events in their life, while Clara is a voluptuous seductress with little restrain between her wants and her needs. Eleanor's journal also serves as a narration for the film while flashing back and forth between the present and the past. Through this we learn how they are different yet why their umbilical dependency is stronger than ever. Both Ronan and Arterton are equally effective in portraying their characters in a way that it becomes hard to establish who is in the lead. But if were to choose, I would say Ronan's narration from her journal and her melancholy aids the Gothic atmosphere of the story. That being said, Arterton's scenes are delicious eye-candy, nonetheless, and in turn keeps the story chugging along.

Using passages from Eleanor's journal as flashbacks, Jordan takes us back and forth till we reach a mystical island – a secret location that 'turns' a mortal into a vampire. This part of the story is a bit murky but throws a new spin on the vampire origins story. I wouldn't call this clever, but like Tomas Alfredson's LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, Jordan's BYZANTIUM is a departure from recent vampire films that seem to glorify the undead with unending superhero abilities. What we see instead, is the inner frailty of these creatures and how they choose to survive by feeding on the living. Even so, Jordan doesn't forget that this is in fact a story about blood lust. Watch out for some gratuitous scenes of pure hemoglobin; enough to run waterfalls red!

Byzantium – a film that wants to work on so many levels yet fails to reach any of them in a successful manner. Director Neil Jordan has a long and distinguished career that sadly ranges from the great – Interview with a Vampire to the horrible – Ondine, the horrible can now include this shoddy looking and cold as a vampire's heart effort.

Byzantium wants to be a film where we the audience feel some type of connection to mother daughter vampire duo Clara and Eleanor played with a ranging success rate by Arterton as the doting mother and Ronan as the seriously morbid Eleanor. For the film to achieve its goals it needed these two vamps to be a whole lot more enduring, the film just makes it to hard to care for these two ancient specimens. Byzantium comes off as a "emo" update on the vampire lore.

The main plot point of the film is that poor old Eleanor wants to tell the truth now, it doesn't owe much to have that amount of story in a 2 hour arc. Jordan tries to spice this central conceit up with flashbacks and romantic subplots all of which fall as flat as deflated balloon. Nothing else secondary in film works either from Caleb Landry Jones awkward performance as Frank through to Johnny Lee Miller and Sam Riley's British soldiers.

Byzantium is one of those films where you find it hard to review due to just how lacklustre the whole thing was, when a films not even enjoyable to dismiss there is something bad going on! Like cinema audiences did upon release it's better to not sink your teeth into this laboured cheap looking entry into the every growing catalogue of vampire tales.

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The vampire genre has been treated by various storytellers in many different ways. Through the ages, The Count, that once was, has either been shown as a disheveled, repulsive creature feeding on rats; or it has turned to its Stoker origins and has held on to his status of the dark-prince. Someone whose is a rather colorful being with a fine and tasteful wardrobe and the undying thirst for blood, which keeps him from aging.

This immortal Prince of Darkness has inspired some of the best and worst pieces of art. Byzantium is one of the better ones. Having said that, the liberties it takes with some of the most fundamental peculiarities of the vampire lore do not blend too well.

Apart from that, the film pleases. It deals mostly with what vampire films deal with these days, preaching in the form of metaphorically accepting an addict into the society, an addict that poses fatal threat to all.

I'll let you decipher the bloody tale itself, besides that Gemma Arterton is true vampire material. Her sparrow eyes and stark features, coupled with the make-up add to give us a sultry Clara who will spare no one and who no one will spare.

If you've watched 'Låt den rätte komma (2008)' and liked it, you'll love this one.

Do not go in expecting your run of the mill vampire film. This is Jordan and the last time he dealt with the subject, we were left with a long shot being pulled away from Tom Cruise as Lestat drove along the highway while Guns n' Roses cover of 'Sympathy for the Devil' played in the back.

Alright, let's face it. This film is basically Neil Jordan redirecting his Interview with the Vampire with the genders switched. Instead of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt we have Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan. And instead of Domiziana Giordano we have Caleb Landry Jones. The themes have certain similarities, questioning the morality of being a vampire and the supposed burden of eternal life. There's even a sect of older vampires they have to evade.

Yet I wouldn't call this a flaw. Had a movie like this one been done by any other director, the obvious similarities would have been clear plagiarism, but with Neil Jordan it's more like he's re-examining his original creation and trying to give it a new twist. It's still a bit lazy, because the stories are not so different, but there's enough new stuff here to satisfy those that have seen Interview.

I especially like the mythos they build for this film. It's not strictly traditional in how it treats its vampires, what with the ability to withstand daylight and all that, but it retains enough of those familiar aspects to deserve the moniker of a vampire film. But most importantly it feels like one. The tone is dark and Gothic, the origin of vampires is impressively threatening and creepy, the film doesn't shy away from the horror and as a whole it doesn't feel like its trying to pander to the young female demographic.

The final commendation goes to the actors. Both Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan are very talented actresses and it shows here. Both of them play their roles beautifully and show us two different personalities, who both just happen to be vampires. They have great chemistry together and it never feels sexualized, like it shouldn't. They're mother and daughter and it feels like it. Caleb Landry Jones's Frank is also an interesting character. Perhaps a bit whiny, but for a good reason.

This film shines because of its visual style, its captivating new take on the vampire genre and the talents of its two main leads. I'd recommend this one to anyone who wants to see vampires taken seriously once again, as well as to any fan of bleak, dark and Gothic.

Byzantium is the story of a mother and daughter vampire duo who evacuate a town they have been inhabitants of for years in the search of somewhere else they can situate themselves as they have been tracked down by a member of the brotherhood bent on killing them. While in this new town, they find love and prospects, however the past can never be altered.

Byzantium stars Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Arteton and Caleb Landry Jones. The film is also directed by Neil Jordan and written by Moira Buffini, who also wrote the play this film is adapted from.

I am unfamiliar with the play, as I am sure the majority of people who view this are, so I cannot compare the two in terms of how true it stayed to the original material or how well the transition worked from play to screen. However, what gives me some sort of security in its transition is the fact that the woman who wrote the play also wrote the screenplay and I highly doubt she would alter anything that didn't need altering.

I approached this film for two simple reasons - Neil Jordan and Saoirse Ronan. I, personally, believe Saoirse Ronan is one of the best actresses of this generation as well as one of the best actors of all-time. She has the potential to the best actress of all time, she just needs to locate the perfect role. This wasn't it, however don't let that statement undermine her acting abilities because she was good. Just not great, and that's a compliment.

Gemma Arteton was solid. I felt she wasn't great, however nothing she did made me cringe or sigh so I will solidify my comment that she was solid. However, Caleb Landry Jones, I did not like. I'm unsure as to why I believe I don't view him favorably. Possibly due to the character or possibly due to his actual acting, it just didn't feel appropriate.

The directing was great along with the cinematography. However I can't help believing it needed a little extra. For some of the shots and overall tone of the film, I felt it required a little more visual flare, as a replacement to stationary, solemn shots. And that's one of it's flaws in my opinion is that it wasn't aware of what kind of a film it was. Tonally, certain aspects were appropriate, however certain aspects weren't.

Certain dialog seemed a tad bit forced also, however the majority of that is from Frank - Caleb Landry Jones - and as I previously stated I'm unsure as to whether that's a flaw in the actual writing or the acting. However, all things considered, the film is highly entertaining and 2 hours feels diminished. I just cannot help wondering that it had the possibility to be something more, it just felt like it would never reach it.

A solid 7/10. Tonally incorrect, however enjoyable and features solid performances. It just required a little extra work.

This movie just rocked me. I expected the usual cheesy horror movie.

Lots of blood and of course the fangs.

What I found was a work of art; The richness of the characters and their credibility was hard to fault. The storyline,and of course there was the music.

The atmosphere was enchanting. A work of art; must see this movie. I have seen a few movies in my life, but I do not recall watching them repeatedly.

I cannot put my finger on it, but I suppose this movie just got me.

A

As most reviews have mentioned this is a refreshing and original variation on the vampire theme which does not fall flat on its face. I went in with the knowledge that Neil Jordan was also responsible for "Interview with a vampire" all those years ago. Byzantium had a similar feel to that.

Without giving away too much of the plot, we see two vampire who have opposing ideals. In this way, we see a stark similarity to the contrast between Lestat and Louis. We never truly find out how they became vampires but this mystery was actually best left untouched.

The only weakness for me was, I did not feel anything for any of the characters. There were romantic sub plots but these were so cold. In fact, the tone of the film was very cold and barren.

Byzantium has three stories that make up the whole. The present. The Past (18th century) & a nonsense love story.

The two main lead characters (Gemma Arterton & Saoirse Ronan) are not big screen actors, I'm sorry but they just they aren't. After 'Hannah' 'The Way Back' 'Prince of Persia' 'Hansel & Gretel' & 'Clash of the Titans' I promised myself to avoid all future movies they appeared in. However, I broke this promise because Byzantium sounded interesting.

(Note to self.. I thought I was wrong once.. but I was mistaken!)

The back story, of the past is the ONLY redeeming quality in the movie. It was impressive, engaging & well done. Considering the shoe string budget the atmosphere, costumes & special effects worked a treat.

However the rest of the movie is a boring tiresome mess.

Decisions are made by the characters that make no sense. At points in the movies I laughed out loud the script & acting were that ridiculous.

In a nutshell Byzantium Is Interview With a Vampire ..inverted.. minus the great acting.. & cohesive believable story. 3 stars for the back story.

Byzantium is more a study of being human than being vampire and holds the attention easily with strong lead performances. At the center is actually a mother daughter relationship, a question of nature versus nurture and survival. As well as all the vices of humankind thrown in for good measure. In this movie the vampires are all human, albeit changed and remain human, albeit enhanced but at a cost and within the shadows of normal living. Life and death of course are issues and living,if we could live forever would we rise above what we are? Questions within. Really enjoyed this and good to see Saiorse Ronan back on form after that terrible Alien outing. Gemma Arterton also puts in a great performance. This is billed as a vampire movie however I'd recommend it to anyone as although the elements are there its very far from what you'd expect of a movie of that genre.

Either you expect an on- screen Gothic novel or From Dusk Till Dawn, this movie has nothing to do with the latter and very little in common with the former. I liked it, but it is a slow, pensive piece of cinema, and definitely less horror-like than you may think. There is a lot of poetry and melancholy- a good deal of despair, too. Saoirse Ronan' s Eleanor Webb is perhaps the sweetest, most courageous and compassionate creature of her kind I have ever seen. Much of the story is about love, solitude, and the struggle to bear the burden of a secret that haunts you, stealing from you every freedom, every hope for love or even domestic peace. The photography is neat, the music hypnotic- some scenes a real pleasure to the sight. The actors are good- all of them. At the end, I was left in a haze of sweet sadness, with many questions and lots of ideas in my head. It might be neither perfect nor a classic within the genre, but Byzantium certainly gifts its spectator with something magic and unique: imaginative worlds to explore, even after credits have faded on the screen. Watch it when you have time, when you can simply sit down and enjoy the story her protagonist wants to tell you. Consider it a crooked, dark, yet delicate fairy tale.

Neil Jordan's last flirtation with vampires was 1994's mega-hit Interview With A Vampire, a glitzy, operatic costume romp sprinkled with homoeroticism. With Byzantium, the glitz has been replaced with end-of- pier grime, the opera is of the soap variety, and the love is of the maternal kind.

Gemma Arterton plays Clara, a nineteenth century prostitute given the chance for immortality. In exchange she must become a sort of vampire - except not the kind that is scared of sunlight, garlic, or crosses. The only thing she's scared of is losing her daughter, Eleanor (Saoirse Ronan). Clara and Eleanor are being pursued across the centuries by a mysterious benefactor, or possibly nemesis, named Darvell (Sam Riley). There's plenty of blood, and even more wailing anguish and heartbreak.

I wanted to like Byzantium, but it never really achieves any dramatic purchase. The film is structured so that the ladies' modern existence is juxtaposed against their origin story, eliding everything in between. This results in the viewer having little sense of the 200-year weariness or insight gathered by Clara and Eleanor. Resourceful and resilient, maybe, but the pathos that surely comes from the knowledge of one's perenniality emerges as motherly bitterness and teenage angst respectively. And it doesn't ring true that after developing twenty decades of survival skills they should founder under such tawdry circumstances.

The script is written by Moira Buffini, based on her play, A Vampire Story. While the film is undeniably cinematic, the dialogue is frequently clunky, with the male performers, including Johnny Lee Miller as the one-dimensional Captain, visibly awkward at times. Caleb Landry Jones's performance is strangest of all, looking about as physically comfortable as James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause.

Jordan occasionally finds striking images to capture memorable moments. The waterfall of blood - a kind of menstrual torrent cascading over black rocks - looks amazing. And he evocatively finds the Gothic in the creaking architecture of the Byzantium guesthouse itself. The brothel overlooks a crumbling pier, symbol of the ravaging nature of time, and possibly of the fading of men, impotent while the vamps remain insatiable.

More stark imagery and bizarre symbolism, a la Jordan's The Company of Wolves, and less rudimentary skullduggery and fewer screaming domestics, might have rescued Byzantium from blandness. Soon Saoirse Ronan will get a role deserving of her talent - but we'll have to wait a bit longer.