Something ELSE To Piss Off Alan Moore
Thursday, October 15th, 2009
If you looked this good, you'd be smug, too. Don't deny it!
I’m just gonna come right out with it. My favorite Alan Moore work is The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Am I talking about the movie? Fuck no! I mean the first two graphic novels. I’ve not read all of From Hell, and I doubt that’s going to change anytime soon, but I will say this from what I’ve read. I prefer the movie x10!
When I first heard that the Hughes brothers would be helming this movie, I was worried. What are they going to do with Jack the Ripper? I had seen Dead Presidents, and wasn’t very impressed. Dead Presidents is two very well crafted movies that don’t play well together in the same two hours. But, the part of the movie that takes place in the city, now there was something. From Hell is not far removed from any other crime film. There’s drugs, hos, corrupt cops, etc. The only difference between this film and almost any other “urban drama” is that it takes place in Victorian London. That’s it. The subject matter is entirely the same.
Inspector Abberline, here played by Johnny Depp (Which is a stretch if you know what the real Frederic Abberline looked like) is a cop with an amazing ability. Besides being a first rate investigator, he also has prophetic dreams. Unfortunately, they seem to be exclusively brought on by the abuse of opium, laudanum, and absinthe. This worries his police sergeant Godfrey, played amiably by Robbie Coltrane, in one of his better supporting roles. Jack the Ripper is on the loose, and Abberline is assigned to find him. At the crime scenes he begins to find evidence of a vast conspiracy that reaches to the very highest power in the land. Odd, considering all the victims are poor hookers. Amongst the chosen victims is one Mary Kelly, played by Heather Graham(with an absolutely atrocious attempt at an english accent, but, she’s hot, so whattya gonna do?) who Abberline begins a relationship with. Between them they have the ability to find the answer to the Ripper killings. That is, if Saucy Jacky doesn’t do her in first.
Anyone who knows anything about Ripperana will tell you that this movie is complete and total bullshit, and they’re right. The theory about the Ripper’s identity and his motives is complete tripe. However, that doesn’t stop this movie from being, as a colleague once called it “Motherfucking intriguing”. No shit. He actually said that. Depp is solid, but what do you expect? It’s Johnny Fuckin’ Depp?! Graham’s got the look, if not the speech, and you learn enough about Jack’s victims that you feel for their plight even as you know that historically speaking, you’ll never know who killed them.
Also, this is a beautiful movie. Green-tinged fantasy worlds and fog filled, carriage roamed streets collide in a dangerous, intoxicating portrait of a hazardous place and time.
Keep your guts in you, and watch this movie. Easily one of the best movies on the subject, if you aren’t too sticky on facts. (Hey! you want facts, read a fuckin’ book! This is a movie review!)
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