* * * * out of 4.

Rating: Null/10 (27 May 2002)

The best film Francis Ford Coppla ever made in my opinion. This magnificent production deals with Count Dracula (Gary Oldman) finding a woman (Winona Ryder) in the 1800's who resembles his long lost love who killed herself many centuries earlier. Gary Oldman turns in the performance of his career with this effort; he is romantic, scary, and captivating while changing from young man to an old ghoulish looking old man to a beast. Winona Ryder also does her best work in this film also; she captures the right balance between innocence and terror. Even Keenua Reeves who was something of a joke at the time of this production is credible. The costumes and sets are lush and breathtaking and the make-up effects are frightening. The film does an admireable job of balancing its romance sub-plot between the terror. And the film is always entertaining and haunting in its own way, especially the ending. The best horror film of the 90's and one of my top 10 favorite films of the 90's!
Rated R; Graphic Violence, Nudity, and Sexual Situations.