Cathardincu
Surprisingly incoherent and boring
ClassyWas
Excellent, smart action film.
Jenna Walter
The film may be flawed, but its message is not.
Matt Kracht
The plot: A philosophical vampire falls in love with his latest victim and befriends the cop investigating his previous murders.This is certainly a non-traditional vampire movie. The protagonist is a vampire who feeds only on the blood of people who have experienced strong emotions. He's basically a serial killer who makes his victims love him, before he kills them -- a rather disturbing thought. He seems to mourn his victims, in a detached and philosophical way, until he finally meets someone that he truly cares for. It is his nature to destroy, however, and one can't help but think that this romance is doomed.This is an understated romantic thriller, more interested in artistic pretension than gory scenes. The movie is strongly influenced by Ridley Scott, and, in some ways, seems like a retelling of Blade Runner, with Roy Batty as the protagonist, instead of Deckard. It's quite interesting but, ultimately, a bit derivative.
juubei-2
Immortality (or Wisdom of Crocodiles as its known across the pond) should be classified as a vampire flick, but I think to see it as nothing more would be missing the point. Just as the original Dracula carried powerful sexual undercurrents in its own heyday, so too must the current crop of vampire stories reveal something of the carnal desires in us today.Jude Law plays the vampire who lives off the blood of others. In human terms he's a real charmer who (en lieu of love) lusts after the women he's with - only to toss them aside when someone new catches his attention - leaving an emotional car wreck in his wake. But this selfish and cruel heart-breaker may finally meet his match when against the odds he finds love with a woman who ultimately rejects him.This sort of man or woman fits well with the vampire archetype, and makes for a nice twist on the genre in the vein of Anne Rice's work. Jude Law was on the rise to his now household name status when he took this on and as always delivers a stellar performance. I would've liked it more had they delved into some of the creepier parts of his character, such as the crystallized shards of blood he painfully removes after a kill (somehow like the purging or catharsis one undergoes after any relationship, revealing he suffers something if not a crisis of conscience). Or the fact that his strange last name has no vowels and can't be traced to any heritage or country of origin.The casting is not without its flaws however, for Jude's foil is not the most interesting choice and I imagine could've been better with a more recognizable actress. I'm just not sure I'm convinced of her charms in the face of a man who we can assume has been treating women as nothing more than a life sustaining meal for many years.But no matter. Law carries the film, delivers an excellent performance in this stark but classy production. If you're a fan of his films or the vampire genre, Immortality is definitely worth a viewing or two. May have been even better with a female in the role of the vampire.
DSearch1
Jude Law gives his all in this beautifully filmed vampire flick which offers little else of value. Completely lacking in eroticism, excitement, or leading ladies with appeal. One decent fight, a few moments of mild suspense. And a one-note plot.The movie waxes philisophic in a series of conversations between Law's character and a dogged homicide detective, well played by Timothy Spall. But despite their best efforts, both actors are staked to the cross of the film's banality.With a lesser actor in the lead role -- and without the benefit of Oliver Curtis's cinematography -- Crocodiles would blend into the sea of low-budget vampire quickies.
george.schmidt
THE WISDOM OF CROCODILES (2000) **1/2 Jude Law, Elina Lowensohn, Timothy Spall, Jack Davenport, Colin Solmon, Kerry Fox. Unusual revisionistic spin on the vampire story with Law as a mysterious man whose sexual/romantic conquests feed his otherworldly health condition (essentially devouring his lovers' blood and absorbing their emotions including love which he desperately needs to continue to live) and meets his match when he falls deeply in love with his next victim Lowensohn. Stylish and at times original but the ending betrays the setup and ultimately destroys the established rhythm. (Dir: Po Chih Leong)
