Each one of us is born with three brains: human, mammalian and reptilian, says Steven Grslcz (Jude Law), a modern-day, consonant-happy Nasferatu who paradoxically finds himself falling in love with his next meal (Elina Lowensohn as Anne Levels). And so charming and eloquently seductive is Mr. Grslcz/Mr. Law, that the audience may never notice that the script has barely enough flesh to cover its bones.

In "The Wisdom of Crocodiles", veteran Hong Kong director Po Chih Leong, in his first foray into an exclusively English-speaking film, was wise to choose Mr. Law as his lead: it is indeed true that sometimes action (or a glance) speaks louder than words. In this case, it occasionally acts as smoke and mirror.

But not to fret! The production is sufficiently lavish, and marginally clever enough, to keep the blood pumping throughout this exotic romantic thriller.

Breaking the most sacred of Anne Rice's rules for blood-sucking vampires, our Y2K serial killer sucks by day, sleeps by night (in a bed, no less) and dangles a Catholic cross around his neck. And in a romantically creepy twist, it is not just the taste of human blood that keeps him alive, but the blood from women whose love and passion for him courses through their veins.

Steven has perfected the art of seduction, and in some mystical fashion is able to locate women who are in psychological torment. When he fully gains their trust, and they have fallen madly in love with hem, he drains them dry, sucking all the love and emotion from their dying bodies.

But when Steven sets his sites on Anne, a beautiful, mysteriously sad, and brilliant young structural engineer, the unspeakable happens, and his own passions are ignited. In a tragic twist of irony, without her life-blood, he will lose all chance for survival.

While Steven anxiously progresses towards his kill, he also finds himself the focus of a police investigation, under the auspices of Inspector Healey (Timothy Spall). Our kindly inspector, though, also finds himself taken in by the charming and seemingly humanitarian Mr. Grslcz.

The pas de deux between Steven and the inspector is the most ingeniously conceived portion of the film, although Mr. Law is able to develop suitable tension between his character and his potential prey. And if the end of the film (which won't be divulged here) isn't wholly satisfying, hopefully Mr. Law will have induced the audience into a hazy state of seduction.


THE WISDOM OF CROCODILES ***
Genre: Thriller/romance
Rating: R
Running time: 99 minutes
Released by: Miramax Films

Directed by Po Chih Leong. Written by Paul Hoffman. Produced by David Lascellescq and Carolyn Choa.

Starring Jude Law (Steven Grslcz), Elina Lowensohn (Anne Levels), Timothy Spall (Inspector Healey), Kerry Fox (Maria Vaughan), Jack Davenport (Sergeant Roche) and Colin Salmon (Martin).





Recommended:
Yes