The Addiction

This movie was even scarier for me since I spent 2/3 of my life in New York City and all the settings were in my family's neighborhood!

The acting was first rate, as was the storyline and cinematography, but all the philosophical dissertations annoyed the HELL out of me because it reminded me of some of the intellectual snobs I went to school with who had lower IQ's than my cat.

Upon reading the previous review, it just occurred to me that all the snobbery made perfect sense.

The character was probably in shock for several weeks. In HER mind, a vampire wouldn't resist his or her impulses they would just become feral. As such, to her, this constant internal dialogue of trying to figure out whether or not her addictions are psychological or supernatural somehow proves her normalcy (at least in her universe).

Christopher Walken was GENIUS and so convincing that I never EVER want to meet him in person! His explanation of his adaptation to his vampirism made it seem so normal (it REALLY felt like he was giving the audience a confession under the guise of acting) that you got the sense that he WASN'T acting!

I have to say that the graduation scene is one of the single most disturbing things that I have ever seen in my life! I saw it coming, but never really acknowledged before seeing this, that horror movies are realistic because all the writers/directors have to do is open up the local newspaper to see what a real monster is!

It's not about vampires, it is about resistance, or lack of it. About what may be right around the corner, about discipline, or about lack of discipline. About being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It can happen to anybody, and it happens to everybody. It's a pyramid scheme.

Beautiful black and white composition by Abel Ferrara tied tightly in a wonderfully creative Joe Delia score. Casting the usual Ferrara/indie suspects: Paul Calderone, Edie Falco, Kathryn Erbe, Lili Taylor, Annabella Sciorra. The theme of the movie presents 4 new questions for every one it answers. Do we have a choice? Can we resist? And just when we think we have it all figured out, Christopher Walken has to show up and throw an entirely new lilt on things.

Such is life.

The Addiction (1995)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Student Kathleen Conklin (Lili Taylor) is walking home when Casanova (Annabella Sciorra) pulls her into a dark alley and bites her neck. Over the next few days Kathleen feels herself starting to change and quickly she grows an addiction for blood.

Abel Ferrara had a number of films that showed drug addiction including BAD LIEUTENANT, which he made a few years before this one. That film showed the addiction of heroin (and other things) and perfectly showed the downfall of what the drug could do. THE ADDICTION in many ways is another film about heroin but the difference is that it is turned into a vampire film. There have been countless vampire films over the years but leave it to Ferrara to turn the genre upside down and do something original.

As I said, the main character here is a vampire and shows an addiction for blood but it's easy to see that you can look at it the same way you would a heroin addiction. The various withdraws that Kathleen goes through are the same that you'd see for heroin but the director shows it through the eyes of a vampire. I must admit that I was really shocked to see how well the connection worked and there's no question that Ferrara milks it for all it's worth.

Even more impressive was the B&W cinematography, which is without question some of the greatest that you'll ever see. The cinematography really becomes its own character here as the director creates an incredibly thick and depression atmosphere. The decision to make this in B&W was extremely wise and it really pays off because it really does feel as if you're watching dead people move around in their world. The perfect use of rap music on the score just adds to the atmosphere and it really pays off.

Of course, another major aspect are the performances with Taylor delivering a striking character. I was really impressed with the actress because she really does a fantastic job at playing the various stages of the addiction. Seeing how she constantly changes throughout the film shows what a talent Taylor was and it's certainly unforgettable and deserves much more attention. Christopher Walken has an extended cameo here and does a wonderful job as well. The supporting players are all extremely effective in their parts as well.

THE ADDICTION isn't your typical vampire film but that's what makes it so special. The film demands that you pay close attention to everything going on but Ferrara has created a really dark and interesting world for these characters to live in and the film is highly recommended.

After a freak attack on a city street by a strange woman, a philosophy student develops a hunger for human blood ...

This starts out right in the audience's face, with footage of a US army massacre in Vietnam, leading to counter-balanced reactions between the protagonist and her friend - but which don't seem connected to the title of the movie. Then straight on to the attack, which is done with style and does connect directly ... in to the thematic jugular, so to speak.

So we're set up for a reflection on the strange phenomenon of addiction, right? Well, through a jumble of philosophical aphorisms and paradoxes casually tossed out through dialogue the movie shifts to an exploration of the will to power, then to original sin, and ends with an off-the-shelf rite of religious redemption. But even if the line of inquiry were clear - say, by just settling on Nietzsche's version - none of this philosophy is brought to life on the screen. I couldn't find it in the structure of the story, or the dilemmas faced by the heroine, or in the cinematography or music (although I did appreciate being introduced to Eine Sylvesternacht).

The performances are mostly casual, with the protagonist going through a crude flip in personality before ripping off her clothes in a frenzy. Thankfully there is Christopher Walken, who provides the only real bite as a mannered, pitiless vampire - in the context of the climax, really a fallen angel.

The cinematography is mostly bland, the flat B&W shoved in as a gimmick with little thought for light and shadow. There are several episodes where footage of massacres is just plonked on the screen - contrast that with the emotion in the record of human violence as presented to Leeloo in The Fifth Element, when we see the reaction in her face. That's how to do it in a movie. On the other hand, the seedy energy of the streets is well captured, and the pace is OK.

What the film-maker sets up is the depravity of humankind, but solely for the purpose of ramming home his preferred brand of salvation. Not at all philosophical - just an exercise in scolding the audience for the sake of his own justification. So that would be a sermon, then.

Overall: Quite a mess. Amen.

I haven't seen THE ADDICTION in ten years, but I do recommend it from what I remember. And the list of attractive concepts are, envelope please: Lili Taylor, Christopher Walken, Anabella Sciorra, black and white meta-fictional film, and of course vampires galore! Abel Ferrara has directed other well known movies such as Bad Lieutenant, California, and the Funeral. Of these movies, I mildly recommend the first two but definitely not the third. The Funeral is plain boring and dreary, while the other two entertain by showing the gritty side of human nature.

Caution, if you're the type of vampire fan who must have each actor decked out in fangs and yellow contacts, then steer clear of this movie, since it's really questionable whether the characters in THE ADDICTION are actually vampires or are just plain junkies in nice clothes.

Lastly, there is a very complex philosophical feel to THE ADDICTION, as Lili Taylor muses about life and death in deep conversations in different venues around New York City: a college book store, movie theater, etc. I recommend any philosopher out there to grab THE ADDICTION off the shelves as soon as possible.

Speaking of the mid-90's, that short-lived era was a golden age for indie actors like Lili Taylor and Parker Posey. Taylor got a taste of vampire-hood early on in this movie, and fortunately for us, and for the committee, Posey got her fangs in Blade 3, which I was very happy to see happen. I mean, come on, all those party girls are really vampires at heart.

JY

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