Vampires is present day England always makes me think of 'Being Human'. They did it pretty good there; though it was part of the whole fad, they made it funny and real and took that particularly unwieldy beast somewhere new. Personally I prefer proper vampires, but if they must look like slightly pale hipsters I'd happily watch them in 'Being Human'. Or this.
I think I heard somewhere (probably Roger Ebert, wasn't he great?) that the director of this did that 'Interview with the Vampire' one, which started the whole bladey twilighty buffy-ey mess (not that any of these movies/shows were bad - I loved 'BtVS', and 'Blade' was alright). It's a similar gritty realism we're exploring here, and everyone seems surprised that they're stuck with the undead in this seemingly normal world.
The plot follows two women who are living as rogue vampires and trying to avoid their races' internal police. It's set in the present, in a Brighton flavoured English coastal town, but jumps periodically into the past to tell the character's stories. They were both born during the Napoleonic Wars, and their journey to becoming vampires mirrors that of the present day plot.
The plot isn't the movies strongest point, though the characters all move about and come together pleasingly at the end. The script, however, is excellent, and the casting (even of the minor characters) is perfect. This lends the film an awful lot of realness, and each character quickly fills out into a full person with history, thoughts, and ambitions. The setting is characteristically bleak. Lots of low lighting, lots of faded tones. It reflects the mood of the characters nicely, though it's nothing new. Gemma Arterton does a fantastic job as Clara. Most of the scenes that she's in she looks like part of a painting, fitting in perfectly with her surroundings yet managing to stand out (often in one of an assumedly huge collection of lingerie). She slips into and out of each frame - contrasting with Eleanor, who is more awkward and halting - stuck as she is forever a teenager.
It's a beautiful film, and I'd recommend it. There are plenty of awesome shots where everything is arranged like an old painting, and then we flash back in time to see how unrealistic such paintings were for most people. The violence is unnecessary as it is fairly run of the mill, and seemed to be mostly for shock value. If it had presented itself more like 'Thirst' I'd respect it more, but as it is it's a very nice vampire flick.
Byzantium: 69.0