I'm back albeit part time!! Almost settled in completely, so finally able to come back to write and ...
I'm back albeit part time!! Almost settled in completely, so finally able to come back to write and read - and have loads to read!!! Thanks for the r/r/c's much appreciated and will be returned!!!!
Member since:02.10.2005
Reviews:124
Members who trust:66
Here is a DVD that has been in my collection for years and years. I bought this from my local rental shop when we first got a DVD player (shortly after we got married) as I wanted to see it but didn't want to spend a lot of money buying the DVD brand new. So buying an ex-rental disc seemed to be the best option. This single disc edition is currently selling on Amazon for around £4.97 but I would recommend that you shop around as it may be possible to buy it cheaper elsewhere.
I found this whilst looking through my DVD collection, wondering what to watch on a night when there was nothing decent on the television. As I had not seen this in quite some time, I thought that I would watch this and (of course) try to write a good review of it for you all!
***DVD Info***
Run Time = 117 minutes
Languages = English and English for the hearing impaired
Rating = 18
Region = 2 (PAL)
Year of
release = 2001
***Synopsis***
Set in 19th Century England, the film is centred on the fact that Jack the Ripper is terrorising the streets of London.
In those days, the poor lived in slums and led awful lives, full of prostitution and hunger. Many died at the hands of others but Jack the Ripper was different. His murders concentrated on prostitutes from the poorest areas. Many thought that he was insane, given the savage manner in which he killed these women, but there was a precision to the killings that gave rise to the belief that the Ripper was not a madman, but in fact a highly educated man.
Mary Kelly (Heather Graham) is a prostitute living in a poor area of London. When one of her friends is brutally murdered by the Ripper, and another is kidnapped, it seems that her life is in mortal danger.
Inspector Fred Abberline (Johnny Depp) is leading the investigation into these murders and, while he is emotionally troubled, he is still a brillian detective with seemingly psychic abilities. But it seems that these psychic flashes only happen when Abberline has taken opium, a substance that he is highly addicted to.
Abberline and Mary Kelly become quite close as the investigation becomes more intense. But as the intensity grows, so does the danger.
Will they survive? Will they catch Jack the Ripper? What happens?
Sorry - Not telling! If you want to find out, then you will have to watch the film!
***Special Features***
Well the only special features on this DVD that I have are Scene Access and Interactive Menus, which are pretty standard on most DVDs nowadays. This is a bit of a let down, but if you really want a lot of special features, then there is a 2 disc edition of this on sale as well.
***My Opinion***
This is a film that I did not think I would like very much, as historical thrillers are not really my cup of tea. But I loved it! I think a lot of that has to do with the performances from the actors. Ian Holm and Robbie Coltrane also co-star in the film.
Depp's English accent is very believable, but that is not really a surprise, considering the amount of work he puts in to make sure of as much authenticity as possible. Graham's accent is not as believable but is still very good. Considering that they are both Americans, their accents are quite good.
Performance wise - flawless from both of them as far as I am concerned. Depp's portrayal of a brilliant but tortured man, addicted to opium but torn between his job and the love of a woman is superb. There are times in the film when I really felt sad for him, then had to remind myself that I was watching a film! Graham's performance as the common Mary Kelly was quite convincing as well. It is quite obvious that they both put a lot of work into their characters, which made the film very enjoyable for me. Coltrane and Holm both give outstanding performances as well in my own honest opinion.
All in all, I really enjoyed this film and would happily watch it again. As I said earlier, it has been in my collection for a fair few years and will remain there, and will certainly be watched again at some point in the future!
I have no hesitation in giving this the full 5 stars - one of the better films I have watched in the last while.
Thanks for reading and happy watching! Di
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