I love this movie so much

Sadly Over-hyped

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Regarded as oftimes somewhat of goth-fodder and less worthy of consideration, the romantic vampire film, especially in its more modern incarnations has seen some bad times. Tale of a Vampire certainly satisfies the goth-fodder side of things but it's a surprisingly fine film nonetheless. It stars Julian Sands as Alex, a cultured, melancholy creature of the night who falls for Anne, an employee new to his preferred library for research. She shares his melancholy search for companionship, with the bonus of being the spitting image, indeed perhaps some reincarnation of his long lost love Virginia. The film takes a slow approach with luxurious atmosphere, one of its most notable features is the cinematography of Zubin Mistry and its transformation of London exteriors into a gorgeous nightworld, a phantasmagorical realm of blue hues, streets that fair gleam in the rain and puddles that seem like deep pools. A place of dark beauty, where past and present can twine, fantasy, romance and the real, in visual contrast with sad and sylvan romantic flashbacks of a brighter palette. A dreamlike ambiance pervades the film, as well as the aforementioned shifts in time and reality there are moments where characters shift gears imperceptibly, connecting tissue of relationship dialogue elided as the plot moves on emotional inevitability rather than laid out structure. Writer/director Shimako Sato clearly isn't aiming to snag fans of tight plotting or fast pace here, but captures perfectly her mournful themes. Julian Sands does well in his role, not terribly expressive but imbued with tired, sad intelligence and bracing flashes of violence. Suzanna Hamilton is even better as Anne, lonely, fair aching for love but still dignified, moving stuff, whilst a spot of antagonism is provided by a suitably sinister Kenneth Cranham. There's even some nice bloodshed in this one, not a whole lot but certainly a couple of unexpectedly brutal moments, its certainly not afraid to get its hands dirty every so often. There are minor flaws in the pacing and construction here I think, Cranham's character appears too late, potentially interesting side roles come to naught and there are bits and bobs of plotting and thematics that are introduced and then fall by the wayside but in general I was more concerned by these problems after watching the film, whilst sat there in front of it I was largely captivated. Tricky to throw out a full on recommendation with this one, as many will no doubt find it sappy or boring, but if macabre romance and beautiful visuals tickle your fancy, this is well worth a look.

I enjoyed this film. It has a dreamy quality to it and has an element of mystery. The design is nicely evocative and the pacing is almost languid. If this is the intention then bravo, because it perfectly captures what Alex, the titular vampire, must feel through the century plus of his undead life. Night after night of ceaseless existence which must be filled with stimulation and not just the stimulus of hunting humans. It captures the loneliness that such a creature, still endowed with all the normal feelings that he once knew in his human life, must endure. In fact, it captures this better than "Interview With A Vampire" does.If you seek a bloodbath, look elsewhere. This is a vampire film about longing and despair and well worth a viewing.

I have to admit that Julian Sands is one of my favorites, and it was the strength of Mr. Sands in the title role that was my draw to film. It was a very atmospheric piece with some of the most haunting scenes that I can remember in a movie.All of the three principals in the film did an excellent job! I liked the plot a lot. The movie kept you wondering who the love interest was. You wondered if she was immortal. The twist ending was unexpected, but on a second watching, the director did insert clues throughout the film.It was not quite the Sixth Sense, but Tale of a Vampire did it better than most movies do.

The premise of the history (an ancient vampire with a lost lover finding a look-alike he can't get close to for fear to kill her) can't be more overdo. But when the movie advances, much of the vampire-clichés are thankfully absent, and the acting is good. Julian Sands can get afloat almost anything, get that in mind. Having said that, and as you should know if you have seen the other reviews,the thing is SLOW. SLOW as you won't believe. If you can deal with that and the inherent sadness of the whole thing ( that you know from about twenty minutes of watching that can't end well), may be a good midnight event.