Weekly Review -- A matter of lore

Blood and Chocolate (2007) -- I would venture to guess that fantasy was one of the top three most popular cinematic genres at any given time, the other two being horror and family fare. These genres breed fandoms, fill out conventions and spawn fan fiction, all based on the audiences' love of the stories told and characters involved. On the opposite end of the quality spectrum, a fantasy film does not always live up to its potential, which is what happened with this Katja von Garnier adaptation of Annette Curtis Klause's novel.

Teenage werewolf Vivian (Agnes Bruckner) has been living in Bucharest with her aunt Astrid (Katja Riemann) ever since her parents were murdered by hunters. Promised by law to the leader of her pack, the authoritarian Gabriel (Olivier Martinez), Vivian's world turns upside down when she meets artist Aiden (Hugh Dancy) by pure chance. Her affection for him and the pressure from the pack soon brings her alliances into question...

Right off the bat, I have to praise Kevin Phipps' production design. He utilizes the Gothic ambiance and architectural diversity of the gorgeous Bucharest to the advantage of the story, adding a sense of mystery and anticipation. Unfortunately, the aesthetics of the film are also the best part, glossing over a narrative chock-full of unfinished characters and listless plot development. One cannot help but wonder about what happened with the screenplay. Its starting point was a unique take on the werewolf lore, a tale within which the characters would have had plenty of room to grow. As it is, they are stunted, having been removed from any kind of genuine emotional conflict that the viewer would be able to invest in. Vivian is the figure painted with most detail, but a singular personality does not cinematic relationships make, and Blood and Chocolate offers up some pretty hollow liaisons.

The acting is adequate, if a little stilted. Bruckner does what she can with the staccato script, the force majeure that prevents her from delving deeper into Vivien's multidimensional traits. Dancy elicits empathy as Aiden, whose back story could have provided an interesting context had it been examined further. Martinez's performance also suffers from the weak writing, giving us a mere taste of how powerful Gabriel could have been, while Riemann does not have a lot to do as Astrid overall. On a trivia note, fellow "Torchwood" fans will recall Brian Dick's (Rafe) memorable guest appearance as alien Adam on the show.

Blood and Chocolate occasionally feels as though someone had decided to cut up the novel and put pieces of it together for the film without looking. The flaws are frustrating, partly because the film ignores its own hints at depth and partly because it wastes its crop of talent in the process, letting itself teeter between imagination and fabrication. A fantasy exists as such for the audiences to lose themselves in. It is a shame when one has to keep peering over their shoulder and not simply enjoy the escape.

5/10