Review of From Hell (2001) by Tara S — 28 Dec 2009

This was one of the most interesting films I have ever seen. A slasher mystery horror film based on the famous Jack the ripper murders. I found this film entertaining and thrilling and at times creepy.

The film was very well shot and edited gave it that really cool and gothic atmosphere. The film is partially true to what happened but being a hollywood film it has fun with history to be an interesting film for the audience.

The death scenes were very graphic and believable to how the girls were murdered. One of the murder death scenes I found very scary and well done. The Hughes Brothers known for their urban films such as Menace II Society and Dead Presidents brought their own style to the film and that made it interesting to see a different perspective on the dark Victorian history.

The acting was acceptable. Johnny Depp gave a good performance as Inspector Abberline but it's not one of his best. Heather Graham I have never particularly liked and she didn't do all to well at conveying she was a cockney prostitute.

The accent wasn't good. Ian Holm played an interesting character and he held it together nicely. The actresses playing the prostitutes were okay but often seemed to play their roles a bit over the top.

But they were believable in their performances as ugly prostitutes. Robbie Coltrane in my opinion was the best performance in this film because he played his character so well. He was funny at times and I think he had all the best lines in the film.

He was the best thing about this film. At times the film felt a bit flimsy. The lesbian prostitute was an unneccessary cliche and the dialogue was often a bit saggy. Some of the supporting characters in the film didn't have believable enough dialogue and seemed to be parodying how Americans see British people and how they speak.

I would recommend this film to anyone who is fan of Johnny depp or is into dark and bloody films like this. It isn't the best film i've seen but it was enjoyable.