Michelle SweeneyEdward Scissorhands – Movie Review
May 7th 2008 01:39
I was feeling very nostalgic and wanted a good ol DVD to curl up with. I picked one of my old faves Edward Scissorhands. There are about four movies that I distinctively remember watching when I was a child and they are Grease, Dirty Dancing, Edward Scissorhands and Labyrinth, so naturally I like to stick with what I know.
Plot Outline
Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands opens as an eccentric inventor lovingly assembles a synthetic youth named Edward). Edward has all the essential ingredients for today's standard body, with the exception of a pair of hands. For what is initially thought to be a temporary period, he is fitted with long, scissor-like extremities that, while able to trim a mean hedge, are hardly conducive to day-to-day life. When the kindly inventor dies, however, Edward is left lonely and cursed with some very heavy metal for hands. He is eventually taken in by Peg Bogg), an Avon lady who takes pity on him after seeing his bleak existence. Edward, in spite of his inherent ability to slay anyone he comes across, is a gentle soul whose only wish is to be loved. His impromptu family has, at best, a limited understanding of Edward, but he finds himself drawn to Peg's weary but sympathetic daughter, Kim, who is dating Jim, the neighborhood bully. Meanwhile, Edward finds himself a local celebrity after the town realizes that his talents include creative hedge trimming and an unrivaled ability to cut hair. His so-called friends are proven fair-weather when Edward is accused of a crime, after which his only supporters are Peg and Kim.
Edward Scissorhands stars Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne West, Anthony Michael Hall, Kathy Baker, Alan Arkin, Vincent Price and Directed by Tim Burton.
Edward Scissorhands was the first collaborative project Johnny Depp and Tim Burton created, others being ‘Sleep Hollow’, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ and ‘Sweeney Todd’.
Watching the film you completely immerse yourself in this magical world Burton has created, like most Burton films, it has a style of its own. From the incongruously odd houses (the stereotypical suburbs, with the wives with hair curlers, the husbands arriving home from work all at the same time) to Edward the friendless ‘Frankensteinish’ character with scissors for hands.
Johnny Depp has this miraculous talent for characters; he is able to play a character with scissors for hands, a pirate, a chocolate factory owner, an offbeat police constable, a CIA agent all without batting an eye lid, you believe he is every character that he tackles, then he goes home and he is a Hollywood superstar. Winona Ryder is another exceptionally talented actress, she speaks volumes with her eyes (to me anyways). I could not envision anybody else as Kim and Edward, as well as the chemistry shared between Depp and Ryder, maybe due to the fact they were in fact dating at the time.
The supporting cast were all amazing, adding the perfect amount of quirkiness and offbeat humour, like everyone I particularly enjoyed the scene when Bill (Alan Larkin) offered Edward some ‘Lemonade’ to which he promptly became sick, not before properly meeting Kim, and looking a tad worse for wear.
There are so many elements in this film that make it so memorable, one of which is the amazing, divine, wonderful score by Danny Elfman, particularly the ‘Ice Dance’ scene, it evokes so many emotions.
Like most Burton films, there is a dark gritty side to the costumes and sets most of which define Edward and his former home (the gothic mansion) which is in direct contrast to the bright suburban surroundings he is introduced to.
Incredible!
4 ½ /5
| 62 |
| Vote |
