Opulent and passionate rendition

Rating: 9/10 (27 August 2005)

Dracula is humanized in this film in a way that has never quite been achieved before and probably could only have been pulled off by the likes of the great Gary Oldman.
The film is expansive and fully-formed. Anthony Hopkins's Van Helsing is thoroughly entertaining, and Renfield and his doctor/jail-keeper are well played. Even the lesser characters, such as Mina's friend Lucy (Sadie Frost) and her groom (Cary Elwes), are well developed.
The strength of this film is the zeal with which it was made. It is an unapologetic, opulent, head-first dive into the rich tradition of Dracula. It simultaneously holds true to key elements of the original, yet realizes so many of the inchoate fantasies that have emanated from this myth over the decades.
The weakness of the filem is Keanu Reaves. His wooden acting abilities are on full display here, and his British accent is pathetic.
I also have mixed feelings about Winona Ryder's casting. She does an adequate job, but she just seems a bit out of place here. Generally speaking, whenever I can't stop thinking of the actor as I am watching a movie (as opposed to her character and the story itself), I feel distracted, and that's my issue with her. She's not convincing in this role.
Overall, a beautiful, extravagant rendition of a dark and seductive classic.
9/10
JEM