"Let Me In", the American adaptation of the Swedish film "Let the right one in" is not your typical vampire movie. It does not rely on over to top effects, or the normal vampiric conventions of faggy brooding euro trash lounging on crushed velvet chaise lounges but instead on mood and the way you connect with the characters.
My immediate draw to the film was that it was set, and filmed in Los Alamos, New Mexico. For those of you unfamiliar Los Alamos was the place where the Atomic bomb was developed under the codename "The Manhattan Project" and where I was born. Also, my cousins Cody, Holly and Cayla appear in the movie as extras. This choice of location for me added another layer of depth and feeling to an already heavy film.
To many people my age who grew up in Los Alamos it is a disconnected place, having to live there casts a shadow that you cant wait to get out from under. I think Owen (played by Kodi Smit-McPhee) says it best when he says "One day, i'm going to get out and I am NEVER coming back." I could really feel how confined Oliver felt, not just by LA but in the way he dreaded gym class, being picked on and bullied for for no reason. That in particular touched a still sensitive nerve with me.
I think there is a genuine sweetness to the movie. The two young stars of the film convey, at least to me anyway; a real feeling compassion and care for one another. Despite Abby telling Oliver "We can't be friends" he still is kind and willing to take that chance. He isn't yet jaded by heartbreak or pumped full of teenage bravado.
The girl Abby is superbly acted by Chloë Moretz in stark contrast to her portrayal of the filthy mouthed assassin HitGirl from "KickAss." Her performance had a patina of pathos and age that i found as quite accomplished for a 13 year old and this gave Abby the theatrical weight that she needed.
I hope everyone gets a chance to see this movie. It is one of the best films I have seen in sometime.
