Overwhelmingly beautiful

Rating: 9/10 (17 November 2006)

(r#105)
Edward Scissorhands - which is in my opinion, hands down Tim Burton's best movie - is many things. It is a sweet and simple fairy tale, a colourful satire of suburban life, a quiet comedy and an emotional love story. How Tim Burton manages to combine these genres into something which feels anything but confused is beyond me. As a director he's an expert of combining stunning visuals with compelling soundtracks to create intoxicating and very entertaining movies. Still I wouldn't go so far as to call him one of the best directors ever - even if he is one of my favourites - simply because he's not the best storyteller, and his direction seems a bit confused at times.
However, Edward Scissorhands is a true masterpiece in every sense of the word, and whether Tim Burton simply had a good day while filming, or his heart was more into it than, say, Planet of the Apes, doesn't really matter. Everything clicks wonderfully, from the intoxicating and haunting score (by Danny Elfman - who else?) to the pitch-perfect performances, to the beautiful visuals, to the simple and compelling story. It's just a wonderful movie and shouldn't be associated with the sticky, manipulative Hollywood genre called "romance".
As the setting of his story, Tim Burton has created a small but memorable world in which suburban banality has been taken to an entirely different level. In this world every single woman is a housewife and all of their husbands drive off to work at the exact same time each morning to bring food to the table. Burton effectively parodies the suburbs without doing a "Paul Haggis" - i.e. driving home his point with a sledgehammer. The bright pastel houses and absurd dress codes are really hideous and the contrast between this exaggerated suburbia and Edward's Gothic hideout is glaring. If I had to choose, I'd pick Edward's castle any day.
Acting is excellent all around, Kathy Baker, Dianne Wiest and Conchata Ferrel, among others, play their prissy housewives convincingly and Alan Arkin's laid-back father figure makes for some nice comic relief. The much-praised Johnny Depp shines and is extremely entertaining, as well as likable, as Edward (no, he did *not* deserve an Oscar for playing a drunk pirate). Winona Ryder is a gorgeous leading lady, and Anthony Michael Hall makes for a genuinely nasty, if a bit dorky, "bad guy". Burton's idol Vincent Price gets some of the best scenes, even if they're just flashbacks, as Edward's inventor.
"Edward Scissorhands" will not change cinema. It's just a sweet, well paced, well directed and superbly acted fairy tale with stunningly beautiful music and visuals. It's one of few romantic movies you can safely watch without gagging or feeling intellectually insulted. Relax, bring your girl- or boyfriend along, and enjoy this wonderful masterpiece of human emotion. One of my favourites of all time. I wish every romantic comedy was as good as this one.