The Wisdom of Crocodiles

There is nothing about this film's jacket that impresses one with the thought provoking dialog that is inside. I am most impressed with this film as among the few that causes me to become introspective.

The discussion that Steven Grlscz (Jude Law) has with Healey about good and evil, is the essence of the film. "Evil isn't just malice, murder and rape and massacre. Before everything, the devil is the father of lies. The lies you tell, the truth you don't tell. Everything hidden is theft. Everything reserved from those we love is fraud. And there's always something, isn't there? What everyone wants is for evil people to be off insidiously committing evil deeds. Then they can be separate from ordinary men and women and destroyed. But the line that separates good and evil cuts through every human heart. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart."

Is Grlscz unknowingly speaking his own epitaph? Worthy viewing for those who think.

I thought this film was quite good and more genuine in its story, for it questions the wisdom of passion.Jude Law is incredibly vulnerable , yet fiercely determined ,in his portrayal of a lovestruck, obsessed vampire.The object of his desire is a very sassy lady who brings elements to the film that are unpredictable.Some of Law's scenes are gross, but therein lies a victim in him.It carries a lot of tension , for I did not know where the plot was going-I like that.I try to guess the outcome of movies as I watch them. A lot of movies are just too predictable; this one is not.If you like a different kind of vampire film, with a lot of emotion and some sexy love scenes, this is a movie you'll love.If you are a fan of Jude, by all means see it.He uses his eyes in incredibly intense and versatile ways. He is charming and kind to people.He's also not afraid of looking absolutely horrible.He's more than a pretty face, much more. I would compare this more to "Basic Instinct" and "Fatal Attraction" than any of the Dracula films. But be warned: although this is not your typical vampire film, there is a lot of bloodshed.

I'm not one to be at a loss of words when it comes to movies, but I believe I have seen one of the best of all time. What do you do to a vampire movie to make it stand above the rest? Don't make it an obvious vampire movie that's what you do. Po-Chih Leong did an excellent job of directing a film which kept me, a vampire movie enthusiast glued to my seat.

He didn't use the typical dark gloomy setting per typical vamp movies, neither did he restrict hi vampire character to the typical stereotypes of common vampire movies. This vampire could be out in the sunlight, see his reflection, yaddayaddayadda. The only thing that holds to the truth is he must drink blood. He is caring, sensitive, and above even his thirst all he is searching for is love.

The plot of this movie was outstanding. The dialog made me think of having everyday conversations. Jude Law was an excellent pick for the main character. I give this movie a 10 based on it's originality and new look at vampires. It can be a bit slow at parts but over all an outstanding movie.

The Wisdom of Crocodiles is one of a new breed of vampire movies. Probably started by Abel Ferrera's "The Addiction", vampirism has turned into a sort of curse that turns it's afflicted into brooding philosophers. Gone are the vampire bats, wooden stakes and crucifixes that once were the staples of the genre, and the vampire genre has been changed into a commentary on disease. However, I'm all for innovation, even if it's not always advisable innovation, and The Wisdom of Crocodiles is one of the better 'new wave' vampire films. It actually seems to be taking more influence from George Romero's excellent 'Martin' than 'The Addiction' anyway. The Wisdom of Crocodiles (great name, by the way) stars Jude Law, in a tight performance, as a man afflicted with some sort of curse that forces him to suck the blood of women while in the act of lovemaking. To say any more than that would mean spoiling it, so I'll leave it there.

The Wisdom of Crocodiles has gained itself something of a cult following, and the channel I saw it on even introduced it as a 'cult classic'. I think this is an incorrect description of the film, as although it's not bad and certainly has it's moments; it hardly has the same qualities as true cult masterpieces, such as the aforementioned 'Martin'. The film benefits from a brooding atmosphere that is created by a brooding musical score that plays through almost the entire running time. This never gets annoying however, as the music is good and almost always adds to the images seen on screen. The film is slowly plotted, which might annoy some people and it's littered with philosophical ideas that Jude Law utters for a lot of the running time. This will probably irritate people that tuned in expecting a vampire movie, especially as there's little bloodletting, but some of the ideas put forward are fairly interesting, and keep the film alive.

This film shouldn't really be in with the classic vampire films at all, as it's a completely different animal (I suppose they couldn't really put it in with 'brooding cursed people', though). Vampire fans should take note of this, but even without the classic vampire thrills; there is much to like about this British chiller.

As a vampire-movie enthusiast I had some high hopes for this picture. Jude Law usually makes for pleasant watching and Elina Lowensohn matches perfectly. That's the first good thing about the movie that really stood out to me: the casting is perfect. Not stereotypical, but very believable and right on target.

The movie is a bit slow and doesn't offer a lot in the way of a horror-movie as most viewers might expect it to, but it tells an engaging story. The plot isn't overly original, but when you look at some of the details, it's obviously well thought out. I loved most of the dialogue: witty, to the point and original. No fake grandeur or excessive posing (like many vampire movies do have), subtle jokes and no giveaways by the characters.

The movie is a good one overall, but even on its strong points, it sometimes misses genius and excellence, so only a 7 for this one.