Round 2 – Performance
An amazing performance can make a good movie better, but it wont rescue a bad one. After a difficult first round, Let the Right One In can stand toe-to-toe with Interview with the Vampire here, with neither film producing a startling display on the part of most of the cast. However, Lina Leandersson does stand out from the crowd, giving Let the Right One In an initial edge against the older film with her convincing portrayal of Eli. Interview fights back with Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Kirsten Dunst all pulling their weight, particularly Cruise, who seems tailor made for the role of Lestat – but ultimately none of them manage to conjure the innate creepiness that Lina Leandersson masters, to the point that it’s almost possible to forget she’s a child actress. Her performance singlehandedly gives the round to Let the Right One In.
