JakeStevens Blog

It's hard to discuss this film this film with an ambivalent eye. On the one hand, it's cinematically stylish with it's gothic overtones and De Palma-like long takes that may be partially inspired to the graphic novel this tale is based on (which is, of course, based on the real-life murders of Jack the Ripper in East London circa 1888). But perhaps therein lies its Achilles heel - is it too stylish for its own good? It's an average mystery-thriller-who-dunnit tarted up as a visual feast, but the underlying story is as commonplace as any of the Hammer Horror films of the '60's or a number of Sherlock Holmes' tales adapted to film. So I'm left wondering whether I liked this film or not. Would I have "loved it" if it were filmed more in the style of the '60's films? Perhaps. But perhaps not. One of the reasons I did enjoy it was because of its ochre lighting and daft camera work. Some of the machinations of the plot left me feeling a little "tore up" (sorry for the bad pun); for instance - they never explain why or how Depp can "see" the murders or why Graham is the "freshest" looking of the whores, who coincidentally escapes unharmed to live out the rest of her days in bucolic bliss). But regardless of that, I still enjoyed watching this film; it's handled by a pair of directors who obviously know their craft well and set out to blaze a new trail for themselves while still holding onto their ideals; indeed, they claim this is a "ghetto" film. So I suppose, for now, I'll rate this as "neutral" until further notice. As if you care.