Vampire's Kiss (directed by Robert Bierman and written by After Hours' Joseph Minion) gets a lot of flack from most viewers, mostly due to the fact that it stars Nicolas Cage*. Cage has made quite a few bad movies recently, and despite the two great ones that just came out (Bad Lieutenant and Kick-Ass, both featuring fine performances from him), people just can't seem to give him any credit. As a result people assume that this film, like The Wicker Man, is unintentionally funny. In some ways it is easy to see the confusion. This is far from your "Yakety Sax" variety of comedy, even with Cage giving one of his most hilarious performances. The pace is slow, the material is very dark, and the soundtrack doesn't provide any hand holding for the audience (as a matter of fact, it could easily fit any serious horror film). Perhaps it's the fact that so much of the comedy is centered on Cage's character (and thus his performance) that makes this hard to accept for many viewers.
Some subtle touches clue us in to the filmmakers' intentions. For instance, early on in the film we notice a framed picture of Kafka in Peter Loew's office. Is there any writer more famous for writing the sort of nightmarish, surreal comedy that this film embodies?
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| Franz Kafka breathing down Nicolas Cage's neck. |
But then there is the not-so-subtle way in which Cage brings the character of Peter Loew to life. He utilizes the most pretentious accent he can muster (a sort of pseudo-English with a snobby inflection, reportedly based on Cage's own father), exaggerates his body language (a Cage trademark, but taken to even greater heights here), and even mimics Max Schreck's performance as Nosferatu in one scene! How someone could think this was unintentionally funny is anyone's guess. Especially when not long after the movie starts Peter is discussing with his psychiatrist how he got turned on while engaged in "mortal combat with a fucking bat."
So the biggest question on your mind is probably this: how is Cage's performance? Appropriately insane, I would say. As always Cage throws himself into the role like he only had one chance at acting and he wanted it to count. Unlike some of his more mainstream efforts, this really gives him a chance to experiment. Thus, as I mentioned earlier, he really takes body language to strange new places while developing what would eventually become his trademarks (e.g. the "Cage Clap" during the celebrated "Alphabet" scene). The interesting thing here is that beneath the comedic exterior there is a slightly disturbing presence. After all, don't we tend to laugh at some of the ridiculous things that mentally ill people say and do? Yet after a while we grow very uncomfortable, knowing they might erupt into violence at any moment. I think Cage captures this unpredictability very well as the film progresses. Watching it again, and especially in light of the things his character does later in the movie, Cage's performance seems much darker.
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| Peter Loew on the make. |
Of particular interest to me was the infamous "Cockroach Scene," wherein Peter Loew (and by extension Nicolas Cage) eats a live cockroach on camera. This story has been repeated again and again as an extreme example of Cage's dedication to his craft, and as grounds to have him committed to an insane asylum. This interview with Maria Conchita Alonso (who played the role of Alva, the subject of Peter's dangerous obsession) tells the gripping story of how this scene came to be. Knowing that Cage had to do the scene a second time, it's easy to assume the look of disgust on his face is genuine.
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| Acting and reacting. |
As enjoyable as Cage's performance is, there's no denying the film itself is a little too slow paced for its own good. I'm not sure what I'd cut, to be honest, but I feel as though it could somehow be tighter. There is also the fact that many of the bit parts tend to be awfully acted, though the more significant supporting actors (such as Maria Conchita Alonso, Kasi Lemmons, Jennifer Beals, and Elizabeth Ashley) all do a fine job. For the most part what makes this worth watching is Joseph Minion's writing and Cage's acting - one of the most delightfully insane pairings that cinema has produced. Vampire's Kiss should be an enjoyable film, especially for Cage fans, as long as you don't get the wrong expectations. This is a slow dark comedy, and certainly not the goofy film that the original poster makes it out to be.
P.S. In a future entry I hope to discuss more about the film itself, focusing not only on Cage's performance but his character, as well as various cinematic aspects. I have decided to wait until I have a chance to listen to the DVD commentary by Cage and director Robert Bierman. Since I watched this on Netflix Instant Streaming, that was unfortunately not an option.
*This is pure speculation written by the douche bag author of this review.
