The Wisdom of Crocodiles (1999)

Great Film overall

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

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.

A "vampire", Steven Grlscz(Jude Law), chooses female victims for their "emotional" blood hoping that the perfect mate who'll love him perfectly, will indeed "cure" him of his illness. We see a victim in the early going he selects who was about to throw herself in front of a subway train. He offers kindness to her for she probably could've used it. But, his befriending her in a sense is a way of gaining her trust until she completely gives herself over emotionally(..through complete love hopefully), but as often as it has been, this person wasn't. He feels certain emotions in his chosen victims, whether it's disappointment or despair, each person has that strong emotion which carries freely through the blood. He must feed on blood to remain alive and when he disposes of the body in a quick-sanded marshland, it is unfortunately discovered by fisherman using illegal netting. He has to contact the police to inform them of his previous relationship with the dead woman so that his guilt won't be so glaring. So for a time, two detectives follow him suspecting him as the murderer. Meanwhile, Steven meets structural engineer named Anne(Elina Löwensohn)and they soon begin a growing relationship where he begins to feel is true love. Will Anne be able to save him? How will she react if Anne discovers who Steven really is? And, will Steven be able to elude the police from suspecting him? All these questions will get answered as Steven must eventually feed or die in the process. Something also touched on is that Anne notices how Steven studies people. One of the detectives, Healy(Timothy Spall)notices that Steven copied a finger gesture in how he puts out the tip of his cigarettes. We later find that besides blood, Steven must also keep himself alive by constantly studying the human condition.Fascinating study on a person whose illness is really never completely elaborated on. That might very well frustrate some viewers wanting an answer, but what if there isn't one? In a sense he is a vampire because he must survive by feeding on blood. But, his life is anything but flamboyant. There are improbabilities such as how Steven seems able to elude his crime against the victim at the beginning of the movie. The film provides us with a gang so that we can see how fast Syteven moves proving to us that he is beyond merely a mortal, but something much different. The love of the film is tested with Steven's condition which makes for an interesting drama particularly Anne's reaction once she finds out.

This vampire movie did not have undue special effects and offered no gimmicks. The movie was alive with Romance, seduction with some gore. The Vampire played a great cat and mouse game with the police detectives, which had a great positive effect in the movie. The movie kept away from the stereotype a vampire movie normally brings. It made the theme of the movie so real compared to like movies. The acting kept me glued to the movie, and it was not predictable. Also the way the vampire became redeemed was very genuine. The behavior was not scary. It was true to life. My only wish is that the movie was longer than an hour and 39 minutes. I give the movie 7 stars.

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)