From Hell

            Cover: 

 

            Plot Summary: It’s 1888 and Jack the Ripper has begun the famous brutal murders of English prostitutes. Psychic investigator and drug addict Inspector Fred Abberline (Johnny Depp) is assigned to solve the case. Here he meets prostitute Mary Kelly (Heather Graham) and falls in love with her. Wanting to save the woman he loves he finds it even more imperative to solve the case before it’s too late. This movie offers an interesting theory to the identity of Jack the Ripper and the solution to these unsolved murders.

 

            Director: Albert Hughes

                             Allan Hughes

 

            Writer: Alan Moore (Graphic Novel)

                         Eddie Campbell (Graphic Novel)

                         Terry Hayes (Screenplay)

                         Rafael Yglesias (Screenplay)

 

            Cast:  Johnny Depp           (Inspector Fred Abberline)

                        Heather Graham     (Mary Kelly)

                        Ian Holm                    (Sir William Gull)

                        Robbie Coltrane      (Sgt. Peter Godley)

                        Ian Richardson       (Sir Charles Warren)

                        Jason Flemyng       (Netley, the Coachman)

 

            Rating: R

                       

            Review: I’m a big fan of the Jack the Ripper mystery, so I really enjoyed this movie. Johnny Depp was wonderful as Inspector Abberline. His accent was terrific (and oh what an accent!) and was terrific at bringing the troubled side of Abberline without taking away from anything else in his character. Many times actors bring out the troubled side so much that it overshadows everything else. Not so here. Heather Graham was tolerable, though what I cannot tolerate was her non-existent Irish accent. I think I heard the accent come through once and that was when she said “Ireland”. Not an incredible feat, even for a poor actor. Ian Holm was wonderful as always, no surprise there. Robbie Coltrane brought a bit of light to the rather dark movie, he was exceptionally funny when appropriate and did a great bit of acting as well. Not a bad movie, but not a wonderful one. It is not one of my favorites, but definitely worth seeing. I saw this movie before I was a Depp fan and this was not the film that brought him to my attention. However, I do remember thinking “He’s pretty good” at the time.