One of the problems is (and that's just a very personal quirk of mine) - I have a hard time thinking anyone is hot once he dons a top hat for *real* as part of the period costume. Goes for the above, and for any kind of Dickens movie, or any movie version of Les Miserables.
In my mind's version, Louis sure wasn't walking around in a top hat. And he looked darker, more haunted, the eyes weren't so swimming, and there was no lipgloss or whatever they were wearing.
I actually like Tom Cruise the best in the film - I agree with Anne Rice that he did a great job as Lestat. And contrary to many people's expectations at the time.
I was so eager to see that movie, because I was very into the book, the conflicting emotions, the giving in to the darkness in you, the twisted sensuality.... and the film just left me cold. Didn't evoke the feelings of the book at all. Such things sure are very subjective.