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Only Lovers Left Alive Movie Review Summary

Actors: Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, Mia Wasikowska, John Hurt

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Only Lovers Left Alive


Only Lovers Left Alive follows the story of a more than two centuries old vampire couple, Adam and Eve. Adam lives in Detroit, Eve lives in Tangier. They are married, but they can't stay together and they cannot really stay apart for long. Adam is a composer, really touchy, protective about his privacy, who only keeps touch with the outside world by his friend, Ian, and a doctor who sells him blood. Apart from this, he only talks to his wife, Eve. Also, he collects old things, in fact everything around him is old. He is depressed by how the world turned out, and wants to kill himself. So he tells Ian to get him a wooden bullet. Ian is referred to as a 'zombie', not because of the fact he eats brains, but because he is not a thinker or someone who creates, but a consumer. Adam refers to these people in general as zombies. Eve, the nurturing female character is more a getting out, talking to people-like character, she is definitely friendlier. She loves first edition books, and capable of determining the age of things by touching them. She gets her blood from her also vampire friend, Marlowe (the real writer of Shakespeare's works). The story starts when after feeding, Eve decides to call Adam, and seeing how depressed he is, she promises to visit him. Before she leaves Tangier she talks to Marlowe, who tells her he dreamt about her sister. Meanwhile Adam gets his wooden bullet, but he doesn't use it. He is harassed by some rock and roll kids, whom he's pretty annoyed about. Then Eve arrives, and the two of them rejoice in meeting again. They drink blood together, they talk, they go on late night drives around the abandoned parts of Detroit. Then Adam leaves to get some more blood, mentioning that he had a dream about Eve's sister. While he is out Eve finds the gun and the wooden bullet. When Adam gets home from his trip, she confronts him about it. She tells him, there is more to life than obsessing over the destruction the zombies has done to the planet, to the water, to their own blood. So they dance, and then go out for another late night drive. This time Eve mentions her sister, and that she dreamt about her. These dreams mean that she is looking for them. When they get home, they find that Eve's sister, Ava arrived unexpectedly and barged into the house, uninvited. This pisses Adam off, but Eve convinces him to let Ava stay for a while. Ava's presence sets a chain of events in motion. She drinks up the blood they have, annoys Adam to no end, and convinces them to get out of the seclusion and go to a bar to listen to some music. Eve agrees, and Adam goes with them. Ian joins them in the club, and Ava seduces him, which ends with her murdering Ian while drinking his blood. This gets to be the last straw for Adam, and he throws her out into the night. By Ava's leaving Adam and Eve have to get rid of Ian's body, which they do in an abandoned industrial park in some acidic pond. And then they leave town. After arriving in Tangier they call on Marlowe to get some sustenance, only to find that he is dying because his supplier is gone and he got poisoned blood. But he gives them one last flask of the good blood. So Adam and Eve wander around Tangier, trying to figure out what to do, when Eve decides to buy a beautiful instument (a mandolin) for Adam. Also at the same time they listen to a singer in a bar who sings a beautiful song. Eventually the little flask of blood runs dry. They end up on a bench, talking about entanglement, Einstein's spooky action in a distance, while watching a young couple kissing. And they are hungry.
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Best part of story, including ending: I liked this movie for it's ability to convey a mood rather than a story. It does not end or begin, it is just how life is.

Best scene in story: When Eve arrives and Adam invites her in, taking her gloves off. It is a scene of true respect, tradition, and deep love.

Opinion about the main character: I like Adam's ability to see the beauty even during hard times, but I dislike that he isolates himself, and holds grudges.

The review of this Movie prepared by Angela Szilagyi a Level 1 Blue Jay scholar

Script Analysis of Only Lovers Left Alive

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Plot & Themes

Composition of Book Actual chase scenes or violence 10%Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzle 10%Feelings, relationships, character bio/development 80% **Fantasy or Science Fiction?**    -   fantasy story on present day Earth magical being/mental/magical powers    -   Yes kind of powers:    -   vampires

Main Character

Identity:    -   magical being, male Profession/status:    -   artist Age:    -   long lived adults Ethnicity/Nationality    -   White (American) Unusual characteristics:    -   Super sensitive soggy jelly muffin

Setting

Big cities?    -   Yes Kind of city    -   Dirty, crime-ridden (like NY)    -   Beautiful sparkling advanced city

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   explicit references to deaths Tone of movie    -   spiritual

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