From Hell (2001)

From Hell is a strange movie by the Hughes brothers. Loosely based on the Alan Moore graphic novel which itself is based on the Jack the Ripper murders this is a beautiful looking film. The production design and atmosphere is eerily reminiscent of the actual period and the acting is also good from everyone involved. But I felt the pacing was an issue or more importantly I felt there was no structure to the film. Having said that the cinematography and style more than make From Hell a recommendation if you want some Victorian gothic action.

RELEASED IN 2001 and directed by the Hughes brothers, "From Hell" details the Jack the Ripper slayings in the slummy Whitechapel district of London in autumn, 1888. Johnny Depp plays an opium-addicted detective while Robbie Coltrane appears as his colleague. Heather Graham is on hand as a prostitute that captures the Detective's interest.The film was based on Alan Moore's graphic novel of the same name. Moore condemned the change of his "gruff" version of Frederick Abberline with an "absinthe-swilling dandy," referring to the protagonist played by Depp. In real life, there's no evidence that Abberline "chased the dragon" or that he had "psychic visions." Speaking of real life, Moore's graphic novel was based in large part on the royal conspiracy theory popularized in Stephen Knight's 1976 book "Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution." This is one of several theories on the identity of the slayer. True or (probably) not, it makes for a good story."From Hell" plays like a Hammer film, but with a blockbuster budget in the modern era. A couple of comparable Hammer flicks are "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed" (1969) and "Taste the Blood of Dracula" (1970). "From Hell" even shares a minor subplot with the latter (high society 'gentlemen' in the Victorian era secretly partaking of taboo hedonistic pleasures). Like Hammer's Gothic horror catalog, you can expect top hats & black coats, cobblestone streets, alluring women, a ghastly killer (or monster) and lush colors.THE MOVIE RUNS 2 hours, 2 minutes and was shot in Prague, Czech Republic, and England (Boscastle & Goldings).GRADE: B

Movie Review: "From Hell" (2001)The Directing Brothers Albert and Allen Hughes, known for a breakthrough picture realization, the "Boys In The Hood" variation called "Menace II Society" (1993), when "From Hell" based on a graphic novel series published between 1989-1996 written by Allen Moore and illustrated by Eddie Campbell, following a storyline in Queen Victoria ruled-England into the prostituted depths of East-End London of the year 1888, when myth-figure "Jack, The Ripper" runs down young-to-minor women, who sell their flesh for coin-money to teach them no-lession, but release a forfeit life in splicing, slashing glooms of metallic-reflecting instruments of torture, when Inspector Frederick Abberline, a drug addict in his own right, indulging on blue-to-green high-octane alcoholic poison of "Absinthe", here portrayed to haunting proportions by actor Johnny Depp, whose character being a halfly-broken man to star with, in actions no better then the monsterous criminals, he must hunt for living.Cinematography by also "Mulholland Drive" visualizing lighting cameraman Peter Deming and producer Don Murphy handling a modest 35-Million-Dollar production budget for a 20th Century Fox release world-premiering at Venice Film Festival in its 58th edition as closing ceremony picture, shown out-of-competition, when the supporting cast ranging from Ian Holm as wicked as striking Sir William Gull, a character of Medical knowledge to professions as 19th century doctor, Heather Graham as Street pigeon, honest,but badly-directed prostitute Mary Kelly, Robbie Coltrane as Abberline-assisting Sergeant Peter Godley and moments of classic 1930s Universal horror beats-sharing actor Jason Flemyng as Netley, the Coachman, when The Hughes Brothers, at a silbling-twin-age of just 29 years, deliver with the help of editors Dan Lebental and George Bowers (1944-2012) a utmost entertaining Period-Thriller of a 115 minutes with mystical-as-gothic atmospheres to be at least watched twice to believe of what "From Hell" could have been in another directors' league-exceeding adaptation endeavors of a director as David Fincher or even Darren Aronofsky, who tends to this day to shy away from previously published material."From Hell" stays a underrated as under-appreciated comic book adaptation after 17 years since its initial release, highly recommended to dare a first to second look for teen-exceeding, maturing audiences, who keep their stomach for a psycho-horror as thrilling genre-mix, strong enough in its reception to be considered sophisticated Hollywood motion picture entertainment.Copyright 2018 Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC

In a past London, inspector Frederick is assigned to investigate a series of very gruesome but also complex murders, which seemed to target a group of prostitutes. He has to analyze each murder in detail as the killer is a person with high expertise regarding dissections and human anatomy, making him even harder to get. Using his "visions", he must get to the bottom of the case fast, facing gangsters and corruption, before the woman he recently fell for is going to be the next victim.Although it had every ingredient to be a great movie, from actors to an interesting idea, it showed how not to make such a movie. It is boring as hell, while Depp's characters leaves us waiting a long time in the beginning for him to appear, and when he does, he does little to raise the tempo to a more enjoyable one, only providing some intelligent dialogue and replies now and then. Besides being boring, it has a group of characters who are as dull as they are annoying, some of them seeming to beg to be killed, deliberately ignoring strict and precise orders. Its finale is another big disappointment in my opinion, finishing the story without any style or even sense. As an upside, it managed to keep a dark and spooky atmosphere, in which the identity of the mysterious killer could remain unknown till late. Honestly, I wasn't expecting such a result from a movie which had a very good lead actor and an interesting sounding story line, fact which makes it even more disappointing.