The Wolves of Kromer

WOLVES OF KROMER is a low budget movie and you can see that all the time you watch it. Some may find the look of the wolves amusing (the furry tail sticking out of their pants in particular), but I think that's not the point. The director paid more attention to the case of two elderly ladies who kill another one -and this issue takes more time than the wolves actually. Another weakness of WOLVES is the lack of any deeper psychological attempt to explain why do characters act the way they do. But do we get that kind of stuff in fairy tales? No. Fairy tales are supposed to be enjoyable. And so are THE WOLVES OF KROMER. The movie is cute, charming at times, the music and photography are beautiful (and you'll love the landscapes). This is not a masterpiece, but just a nice and sweet fable. Don't expect to witness a great movie or you'll get disappointed. Expect to see simplicity, sweetness and beauty. And you'll have fun.

The two "werewolves or wolves" are a metaphor for the coming of age and male homosexuality. The idea behind the film is "Basically we are no different than the rest of you." The strange part is, they didn't have to add the wolf part into the film - they could have left it as simply young gay love and it would have be basically the same movie.

There are parts of this film that could have been "spiced up" a bit because those scenes are rather boring really. A little bit of humor but quite a bit of drama. Overall a worthwhile film for young gay men.

I have to say the two "wolves" are very nice looking - Lee Williams played Seth and could easily play Dorian Gray - that is who I see when I look at him.

To be honest: I had to fast forward through some of the film because I found it boring - the middle lagged to much for me.

5/10

I really enjoyed The Wolves Of Kromer, more than I expected even. It's a small and heart warming film which takes the werewolves as an allegory for young gay men who search their place in the world. The film had a lot David Lynch feel to it, it was comedy and romance combined with creepy undertones and unique-dark-bizarre shots using special lightning techniques. several shots were truly a masterpiece and got me staring for a while. The scenery was beautiful and very pleasant to look at, so were the actors. The acting was very good, the characters' lines felt like each is actually saying what they are feeling (I actually felt a bit like i'm watching a play at some of the parts). I loved the implementation of a modern fairy tale (seeing the couple once boating in the calm river and on the other hand riding a bike). I loved the atmosphere. I even loved the fluffy tales! it was so sweet and original!! (reminded me of anime cat boys) I loved everything about this film, it's not very common for me to give such a high grade but this movie deserves it. :)

The movie takes place in a small British town. Seth and Gabriel are gay, in love and are werewolves. Meanwhile the townspeople are out to kill them because they're "different".

In this movie the werewolves are (very obviously) a metaphor for gay men. In fact the two actors are always in human form even when they're wolves (this movie was made on a VERY low budget). They just wear fur, have long claws for fingernails and have tails (a big mistake--they look laughable).

As you can tell, this is one strange movie. It's well done, beautiful color and scenery and a lush music score. Also, some of the jokes are quite funny but there are plenty of groaners too. The message is also very pro-gay. Unfortunately, this movie doesn't always work.

The acting is bad (it's obvious they hired models, not actors) and this is a cute idea but it's stretched out to 70 minutes.

So, it has its moments (especially if you're gay) but doesn't work as a whole. Still, I recommend it. When it does work it's great!

I'm always dumbfounded when people equate budget with quality (think of all the high-budget/ low-quality Hollywood movies that dominate the cineplexes). So, yes, this is low budget -- thankfully -- there's no fancy make-up or special effects, and no CGI. This movie is based on a PLAY. And it's filmed that way (not "opened up" very much from the source). Regardless of how you feel about this specific film, please be aware that there are many fine films out there, of varying budgets, that are presented stylistically as more of a play. Most of the time it is an artistic decision having nothing to do with budget.

As far as the content (plot, performances, etc.), I can easily understand why there's much dissension in these areas of this particular film. Certainly this is not a movie for the unwashed masses, or even the washed ones! What I like about it is that it's part murder mystery (not a whodunit) with social commentary, and touches of black humour (I guess in many ways, stereotypically British), not to mention the charming and handsome leads. The Wolves of Kromer is to me what Brokeback Mountain is to many others. So if you want a big-budget flick with big American stars (that's also high in quality), go climb the Mountain!