let the right one in

I picked up this book sometime this year when I was in the library doing researching for an assignment. I read the first few pages as the computer was setting itself up but then sat it down and forgot to borrow it when I left. Therefore I can't compare the book to the film but as a movie, it is superb and finely crafted.
I thought that the relationship between Eli and Oskar was beautifully rendered and the skill of the young actors themselves far outweighs many more experienced thespians.
I was magnetically drawn into this shabby, midnight world that reflected upon the grimier edges of humanity like wading into a clear lake and stirring up the mud on the bottom with your steps.Cold, still and at times breathless with despair, the horror of this film is the contrast between the beauty of the landscape and the dark acts perpetrated within it, just as the ethereality of Eli contrasts with her capacity for violence.This is one of those films that keeps you thinking about it for days afterwords until it actually becomes a part of who you are. And there are so many areas to think about such as childhood innocence, revenge, humanity, violence, the meaning of evil as well as all the other extremes and nuances of life and death that satisfying vampiric fiction explores.
I found that the film succeeded in being able to alienate me at the right moments than being able to create a profound sense of intimacy during others. For example, during the first murder scene, the numb-horror of the actions, the icy trees and snow that framed the shots and absurdity of the arrival of the poodle who interrupted proceedings meant that the audience felt distanced from the events.The scenes with Oskar and Eli begin in a similarly fracturing way but swiftly become increasingly close to the audience as we are reeled in by seemingly mesmeric forces.
The pool scene at the end as Eli disposes of the bullies while Oskar is submerged was a fantastically original way of showing action and gore without showing anything at all.
Atmosphere and intrigue are both things that are most pleasing and are two reasons why this film is so compelling.