Only Lovers Left Alive - 2013

Written and Directed by Jim Jarmusch. DP was Yorick Le Saux.
Directors love using shots of Detroit now. We explored this in 'It Follows' and the shots in 'Only Lovers Left Alive' match up almost seamlessly. It creates such a desolate atmosphere, this hint of urban decay warning us the end is nigh. So hey, there's one positive thing about the collapse of a once great city, it makes for good background.
The movie was a throw back to 90's films, especially Hiddleston's character. Adam is every humorless grunge-era character ever. Life, or in this case eternal life, is such a drag man. Don't you just wanna like, make a wooden bullet and leave it out so someone can find it and scold you on planning to kill yourself even though all you really want is someone to show they care enough to scold you in the first place? Life is like, so heavy man.
I'm sorry I know this is supposed to concentrate on the aesthetics, but the character of Adam was nails on the chalkboard to me. The selfish way he sucks the energy out of any situation, the way he steals the enthusiasm of everyone around him. It's like listening to Trent Reznor complain about how boring it is to bang models in penthouses while doing rails of cocaine. "SEE HOW MUCH I'M BURDENED BY MY OWN GENIUS!?!?!? WON'T SOMEONE TELL ME THEY LOVE ME SO I CAN SNARL AND LOOK AWAY DEJECTEDLY!!!!" So no, I was not a fan of Adam.
Below is an example of the overhead motif Jarmusch uses. The first shot is at the beginning of the film when the lovers are apart. And the shot below occurs once they've come together.

You get the sense their relationship has given the music meaning. The editing makes their reuniting together feel epic, and blending them with the record gives deeper meaning to the place of music in Adam's world. Though he's still a douche.

The next two shots come at the beginning and end of the film respectively.

The triangle composition of the shot is appealing in of itself, but what else are they trying to convey? I think in both cases Le Saux is giving us a feel for the vampires disconnect from the real world. Kind of viewing everything like a bird of prey, soaring overhead. Even as they march through it holding hands, they look to be separate from everyone else.

This man has not skylarked even once in his life.  But in all seriousness, you'll notice how the overhead shot emphasizes the loneliness Adam feels being estranged from Eve. The frame is filled with negative space and just a couple brush strokes of color from Adam's face and hands. Later on, we get a shot from the same angle with the lovers in embrace. They fill the frame up, a metaphor for what the relationship means.
In spite of mocking the Adam character, I recommend 'Only Lovers Left Alive' because of the skillful film-making and rich mise en scene. I'm not a Jarmusch guy. I was lukewarm to 'Dead Man', was a fan of 'Limits of Control', and loved 'Ghost Dog'. I'd put this one below 'Limits' on my list. I am extra pumped for his documentary on The Stooges though. The band, not the comedy troop. So now re-reading what I wrote, I guess I am a Jarmusch guy.