Due to the lack of promotion for “Byzantium” (I suppose all those videos of Saoirse talking about “The Host” set the bar a bit too high), we’ve been looking for anything new on the movie and its release around the world. With the exception of a few great reviews, nothing has come up. Cleveland‘s review is probably one of the most complete I’ve read so far, so I thought you guys might like it as well. There are no spoilers.
Clara is a feisty, flirtatious, alluring woman. Heavy on eye makeup, push-up bras and attitude, she knows how to manipulate men and make money with her looks. She is also a “soucriant,” a kind of vampire-hybrid. Daylight does not upset her and she has no noticeable fangs, though she feasts on human blood and has lived for centuries.
Clara, played by Gemma Arterton, is a real kick in the head. But despite her intensity and murderous streak, she is not even the most interesting character in Neil Jordan’s “Byzantium.” That would be Eleanor, Clara’s compatriot in blood. More thoughtful and reflective, Eleanor, played by Saoirse Ronan (“Atonement,” “The Lovely Bones”), writes down the history of her bizarre journey as the two women flutter from town to town.
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