Did Owen love Abby?

[Drad]

Someone brought this up in my thread, and I realized this was what really killed the movie for me. Apart from the score, the chemistry between Owen and Abby didn't seem to work for me.

A lot of their interactions didn't seem as real to me as in the original's.

There were a lot of moments in the original that really built on you that Oskar was falling in love with Eli, and that she was the most important thing to him. It starts when Oskar discovers the Rubicks cube, and he sits in class, not paying attention to the teacher, but just studying the cube. "Oskar In Love" plays, a BEAUTIFUL piece. For some reason, this scene is REALLY effective. I guess it just shows how Oskar is starting to think about Eli all the time.

And, to me, one scene that made me tear up the second time I saw it, and that really showed Oskar's growing love for Eli was at his fathers. Oskar's dad's friend shows up, and they begin to drink. Oskar takes off, and goes to the person who will take him in: Eli.

Small things like this in my mind built up the fact that by the end of the movie, Oskar LOVED Eli.

There wasn't a lot in "Let Me In" that showed Owen loved Abby. What do you think?

[TΛPETRVE]

I saw no love at all. Owen just took the seemingly easier way out of a Hobson's choice. It was like "Rather safe as a dog with a ruthless master than free as a mongrel that gets kicked to death".

[Lacenaire]

I saw no love at all. Oskar just took the seemingly easier way out of a Hobson's choice. It was like "Rather safe as a dog with a ruthless master than free as a mongrel that gets kicked to death".

An interesting summing up with curious "political" ramifications, particularly in connection with the 1980s. And for, people who think like me, pretty sickening.
I am curious if other people see it in this way and if it was actually intended by the director.

[gattoparde59]

I saw no love at all. Oskar just took the seemingly easier way out of a Hobson's choice. It was like "Rather safe as a dog with a ruthless master than free as a mongrel that gets kicked to death".

Do you mean Oskar or Owen? The title of the post is Owen and Abby.

[TΛPETRVE]

Of course I meant Owen. Thanks for pointing out the mistake .

[cmfireflies]

.

[Wolfchild]

**DISCLAIMER** When I viewed Let Me in, I utterly failed to put Let the Right One In out of my mind. I spent the first 40 minutes or so comparing everything that I was seeing to Tomas Alfredson's film. I'm not sure that I am qualified to comment on this film before I get a chance to see it again. Even so...

Kodi did a good job of playing a twelve year old - too good a job. If he was a twelve year old in love, then it is entirely realistic then he wouldn't be mooning all over her. He would be eager to see her, but would do what he could to hide his feelings. Kodi did an excellent job of playing a twelve year old boy who was good at hiding his feelings. I never really got from him that he was in love with Abby. My spouse got it, but it didn't really come across to me. Perhaps a slightly less realistic performance would have helped me to feel Owen's feelings. But I really can't say yet whether the was the movie's failing or my own.

[TΛPETRVE]

@Cmfireflies: Also, the way Abby bled seemed more strained, like she had a sudden attack of diarrhoea, than it felt painful.

[SunButterfly]

Owen was terrified of her, but deep down I believe he still loved her. If he hadn't have loved her I don't believe he would have cried when she left or would have gone with her. I know that's how Let The Right One In ended but Owen was just terrified and didn't know what to do, I know I'd be terrified! lol

[Jimm]

I have just watched it in Hong Kong, and I have to say I do agree with you guys a lot
[quote]the chemistry between Owen and Abby doesn't really work
and no love is shown [/quote]

I just cannot get the scene, Abby who hoped around and banging peoples hand into the wall, out of my mind. It got me an impression of this movie that: Abby is a monster at all time in her life. Poor, not loved, bullied Owen who he tried to reached out for her as a friend, a new comer into his miserable life (girlfriend? go steady? not really works)
From observations, I am not sure but the biggest smile in Owen's face is actually when he found the rubik's cube from the junglegym, scenes afterwards I felt that he was fooled by Abby and he was scared the crap out of himself by her. comparison of Oskars and Owens facial expression in the pool scene was mentioned somewhere in the forum but not a sense of happiness in Owens . can say I definitely see no love from Abby to Owen. From Owen, I think he had a crush on her, from finding a neighbor who chill around their home in night times and both love puzzles. After he fully revealed what Abby is, NO MORE LOVE but maybe a little friendship and pity? anyways Abby doesn't seemed to take the pity from anyone ...Shes fine alone....

I think the
As Tape said [quote]It was like "Rather safe as a dog with a ruthless master than free as a mongrel that gets kicked to death".[/quote]