December 05, 2010 | Category: Films Uncategorized

Film Fight 2010: November

For various reason, I only made it to the cinema once, so the winner is a foregone conclusion.

Let Me In is an American remake of the classic Swedish film, Let The Right One in. During the making of this film, we were promised that it would be a different take on the source, focussing more closely on the burgeoning relationship between Oskar and Eli (renamed Owen and Abby), and the relationship between Eli and her carer. This remake fails to deliver. What we get appears to be a somewhat neutered cut of the director’s vision: following the plot of the original very closely, sometimes shot for shot, but replacing the uneasy menace with some more obvious action scenes. There are moments where it shines. The few moments that Richard Jenkins gets he puts to great use, especially the scene he’s hiding in a car. Largely, though, it’s disappointingly similar to the original, without many fresh ideas. (See my Let Me In Twitter review).

In another month it wouldn’t have gotten through, but Let Me In is obviously the November winner.