Byzantium

IFC Films | Release Date: June 28, 2013

7.0	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 85 Ratings

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TVJerryJul 16, 2013

A vampire mother and daughter escape to a seaside village, where they struggle to continue their anonymous existence. While mom (Gemma Atherton) establishes a brothel to make money, the daughter (Saoirse Ronan) expresses her desire to tellA vampire mother and daughter escape to a seaside village, where they struggle to continue their anonymous existence. While mom (Gemma Atherton) establishes a brothel to make money, the daughter (Saoirse Ronan) expresses her desire to tell the truth with lots of flashbacks into their "making." This is not an effects-laden horror flic. They don't have any superhuman powers or even fangs. It's a somber drama that takes it's time, but in the hands of director Neil Jordan (The Borgias,The Crying Game, Interview with the Vampire) it develops into a compelling climax.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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hoops2448Sep 3, 2013

If at first you think the story Byzantium tries to tell is a little too thin, it's because it is and Director Neil Jordan tries everything in his arsenal to slow things down but that just makes this unoriginal picture boring as well. WhenIf at first you think the story Byzantium tries to tell is a little too thin, it's because it is and Director Neil Jordan tries everything in his arsenal to slow things down but that just makes this unoriginal picture boring as well. When mysterious women Clara (Gemma Arterton) and Eleanor (Saorise Ronan) move to a quiet coastal town they bring with them death and destruction as a shrouded in darkness group hunts them for something Clara did years prior. Jordan who previously worked on vampire tale Interview with the Vampire takes a different approach with this story of the blood sucking creatures as it flits from present to past to tell the simplistic and oftentimes pretentious story of these two women. In fact the film spends so much time swapping time periods that the film never builds any momentum and the glimpses into their pasts get less interesting as the film goes on. Byzantium however is more interested in telling a simple story well, an admirable idea but in doing so fail to grip its audience, Jordan does create an interesting world but its one so bleak and miserable that the ending which should real as hopeful is just bizarre. Ronan and Arterton who are stuck with an uninventive script make the most of it and Arterton especially stands out as she makes Clara a tragic yet brutal vixen, a born manipulator whose a real joy to watch when she really gets going, something this film rarely shows, Ronan who is consistently good in everything it seems is memorable as the shy, afraid of her own shadow Eleanor yet the two together lack the kind of chemistry expected meaning a key aspect of the film is missing It's a depressing film with a long arduous run time that did not keep me interested because of its insistence to tell what was ultimately a generic vampire story.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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adamjneveSep 7, 2015

A mother and daughter, who happen to be vampires, struggle to maintain anonymity while also struggling with the perils of being a vampire and falling in love. There are a lot of flashbacks to relate the story of the creation of Clara (GemmaA mother and daughter, who happen to be vampires, struggle to maintain anonymity while also struggling with the perils of being a vampire and falling in love. There are a lot of flashbacks to relate the story of the creation of Clara (Gemma Arterton) and her subsequent creation of Eleanor (Saorise Ronan). Eleanor struggles with identity and new love, while Clara struggles with parenting a rebellious teenager and keeping them safe from a looming secret.

It's a beautifully dark and brooding film, which comes as no surprise with Neil Jordan (Interview with a Vampire) at the helm. But where Interview was rich and developed, with drama and tension in the relationships it simmered up over its meandering course, Byzantium is flat, lifeless, and thin for most of its two hour running time, picking up speed and becoming interesting JUST before the credits roll.

Despite good casting, good performances, excellent cinematography, and a cool vampire mythos, there just isn't enough story here to drive a movie. If you're really into vampires you might dig it. Otherwise, you'll be fine without.… Expand

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JLuis_001Sep 7, 2017

Depending on the angle and perspective, Byzantium is a somewhat pretentious film, although I cannot say it owes something because it promised nothing.
The cinematography complies, but otherwise this film is an enormously forgettable piece.

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DawdlingPoetNov 27, 2021

This is a fairly atmospheric watch, with a solid performance by Saoirse Ronan. Its somewhat dark and fairly sinister in tone I suppose, although it does feel like the whole vampire category of horror/thriller film has been, pardon the pun,This is a fairly atmospheric watch, with a solid performance by Saoirse Ronan. Its somewhat dark and fairly sinister in tone I suppose, although it does feel like the whole vampire category of horror/thriller film has been, pardon the pun, done to death by now, so in that sort of a sense its fairly predictable. I liked the use of music in it and I suppose it didn't feel as tacky as some of the similar films aimed at teens do (like Twilight etc.). The cast is good and it was interesting to see in terms of it being set in Britain, rather than the US, for a change but I can't say I found it entirely engrossing or anything like that. Its ok and I liked that Tom Hollander (who plays Rev in the BBC sitcom of the same name) is in it but its not a great watch, so I wouldn't expressly recommend it as such, no.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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