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Jude Law, Elina Löwensohn, Timothy Spall

Jude Law makes the term emotional vampire literal in this somber, restrained tale of a modern-day bloodsucker in London. As the improbably named medical researcher Steven Grlscz (pronounced "grilsh"),...( read more  read more... ) he's a cool charmer who woos lonely women and feeds off them at the height of their emotional intensity. He begins his seduction of Elina Löwensohn (who played a vampire herself in Nadja) just as relentless police detective Timothy Spall starts an investigation of him for the murder of his former lover Kerry Fox. It's the start of an unusual battle of wits.

Equal parts AIDS metaphor, ancient myth with a modern twist, and shrewd mind game, Immortality (originally released as The Wisdom of Crocodiles) is an art-movie interpretation of the vampire myth, too chic and bloodless to be compelling but curiously fascinating in its way. Leong Po-chih directs with clockwork precision and emotional restraint, elegantly creating a handsome but impersonal world where Grlscz's painful need for love is an extreme symptom of modern life. Law plays his part as a fascinating paradox, hiding his feelings and schemes behind a mask of impenetrable ennui that periodically bursts in a gush of sorrow and disappears just as fast, while Löwensohn is almost as hard to read with her angular face and unusual accent. The meticulous detail and cool images make this more a dispassionate mind game than a horror movie, where the ideas never quite come to life but become a curious enigma. --Sean Axmaker

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52% liked it

3,475 ratings

Critics

47% liked it

19 critics

R, 1 hr. 39 min.

Directed by: Po-Chih Leong

Release Date: May 1, 2000

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DVD Release Date: March 13, 2001

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Flixster Reviews (145)

  • MidnightMadwoman
    July 21, 2006
    MidnightMadwoman
    Jude Law as a vampire. Dammit, they know my weakness! This is a really seductive film, and the premise is fascinating. Although it takes a bit of a wrong turn near the end, it redeems itself at the last moment. It's hard to say what it is about this movie that's so compelling. It...( read more) just is.
  • RockabillySaint
    August 27, 2006
    RockabillySaint
    This was actually a bit of a surprise. I was expecting absolute crap, and got an actually half decent film. The acting was good, especially Jude, and the story was at least different from most films.
  • skirk91
    July 2, 2009
    skirk91
    Pretty good thriller, strange and enigmatic. Good ending.
  • bbliumis
    January 21, 2009
    bbliumis
    vampire film but not a usual one...
  • BrownEyesLoca
    January 17, 2009
    BrownEyesLoca
    Very good movie. Jude looks hothothot! :P Oh vampires.
  • ladymia
    December 20, 2008
    ladymia
    This movie can only be understood when reading between the lines.
  • eclectickimmer
    November 2, 2008
    eclectickimmer
    I initially rented this film because of the combination of Jude Law, Jack Davenport and Timothy Spall. I must say the WHOLE cast delivered outstanding dramatic performances in this piece. I was enthralled and moved (sometimes beyond words... which is saying quite a lot from me). ...( read more)It's no secret that Jude is one of our generations best actors. To his credit there wasn't a moment that I thought I was watching Jude Law. I think that's the best compliment one can give an actor. There was more there than that though. The story is devoid of B.S. or choosing sides. It simply describes the pain that every being, mortal or otherwise, is compelled to deal with. The heartless reality of life... and death. It showed that every action has a reaction and that we are ALL damaged in some way shape or form. If you're looking for a slasher movie, don't rent this. If you're looking for a typical bloodsucking vamp flick... go away. This is a film for thinkers.
  • wihyena
    September 23, 2008
    wihyena
    Is he evil, or merely trying to survive? Does he know love...can he?
  • khorace1
    July 6, 2008
    khorace1
    An intersting take on vipirism.

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  • In 1998 Jude Law starred as a vampire in the british movie (The Wisdom Of Crocodiles), this movie was released in the US in 2000 under what name?  Answer »
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