Rating of
2.5/4
"Byzantium" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 01/07/17
A mother and daughter living as vampires move to a small seaside town, where the revelation as to their nature leads to a confrontation with the secret society who banished them 200 years earlier. Neil Jordan returns to the vampire genre in this low budget story that concentrates more on characterisation than action and gore. The premise is that of how the past shapes our future and even for an immortal, it is something that you can never escape. Saoirse Ronan puts in a typically fine performance as the haunted girl trapped forever in the body of a 16 year old and the period scenes set in their past are nicely done, echoing very much the format of Interview With The Vampire. Lacking its big names and big budget and any real surprises, Byzantium cannot match Jordan's previous foray into the realm of the undead but it is nicely played and different enough from the usual fang flick to warrant a look.
