An uplifting portrait of one bizarre man.

Rating: 9/10 (8 January 2008)

Tim Burton takes a chronicling of the 'worst director of all time' and transforms into something far beyond that. He crafts a film about ambition and the dedication a man took in order to follow that ambition and turn it into a reality. He shows us a man who follows his dream, no matter how bad the reviews are. We see that it's not the world's dream, and it's not something that will be critically accepted in his industry but it is Ed Wood's dream and his final success of getting his picture made is one that completed his life. An uplifting tale of self-acceptance over doing things based on what other's perceive as excellent.
The performances really take charge in this one. Martin Landau greatly deserved his Oscar win for his portrayal of the late Bela Lugosi. His transformation is vital to the story as it's Bela who really charges Ed's career and inspires him to become the legend he eventually became. Martin captures the drug addicted, bitter old man's essence with ease and makes us feel as if we're watching the real deal. Sarah Jessica Parker and Patricia Arquette also deliver superb performances, each taking over one half of Ed's romantic life. For me though, the real star of this one was Johnny Depp. He has stated that his portrayal of Wood was a mixture of 'the blind optimism of Ronald Regan, the enthusiasm of the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz and Casey Kasem'. As bizarre as that sounds, it looks as though he hit the nail on the head and delivers one of the best performances of his career. A true marvel to watch, as he always is for me.