Only Lovers Left Alive (Coming Soon)

Jim Jarmusch directs

When I heard the news that Jim Jarmusch had started work on Only Lovers Left Alive, my first thoughts were on the project’s choice of subject. It would be an understatement to say that a vampire movie wasn’t expected when basing expectations on the director’s previous works. Anyway — putting the initial shock aside — this was an exciting rumour. It’s difficult to build an idea of what Jarmusch will bring to this genre, but it should make a welcome change.

Tilda Swinton

Not much has been leaked thus far. Sparse pieces of information have been thrown around, including a vague premise, the setting, filming locations and cast. Only Lovers is a drama which will circulate around two vampires in love. A film that Jarmusch described as a “crypto-vampire love story”. The story will take place in Detroit, while filming is set to occur throughout Michigan, Germany and Morocco. On receiving information regarding the plot, I ended up concluding that viewers should expect a low-key, photographically rich take on an overused theme.

Anton Yelchin

Aside from the absence of vampires (and similar supernatural/mythological beings) Jarmusch’s work has yet to really explore love as a central theme. Saying this, his previous endeavours have given film buffs reason to believe that he knows what he’s doing, and that we shouldn’t put this change of direction down as something to worry about.

Shooting began this month, while Only Lovers is expected to appear in theatres for 2013. The film already boasts an impressive choice of cast, including Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, John Hurt and Mia Wasikowska. Also landing a lead role is Like Crazy’s Anton Yelchin — a young actor who should fare well under such an experienced filmmaker’s direction. Whatever the outcome, this project is definitely something to anticipate. So far, details concerning the upcoming film lay down a solid base for great viewing, and up until this point, Jarmusch has yet to let us down.