Haunting, achingly beautiful

Rating: 10/10 (25 November 1999)

It's nearing the end of 1999, and this is *still* my favorite Tim Burton film. This is definitely my favorite modern fairy tale. The Elfman score is exquisite, the story is haunting and lovely; the film is simply magnificent.
While some have criticized -Edward Scissorhands- for being too "heavy-handed" or too obviously allegorical, I think that the inherent message of the film is one that is universal enough not to be a distraction to the film's beauty. The plot and the characters are too original to evoke feelings of "been there, done that", even while it may be true that everyone has felt alienation at one time or another.
The content of this film runs rampant with "Burton-isms", the clever absurdities that are Burton's trademark in films. This film does contain a lot of humor and oddity, but unlike films like -Beetlejuice -, its story revolves around something that is not alien to anyone - love. This is a love story that breaks the heart. The originality lies in the details, and in the conclusion. It's been a long time since someone has written a fairy tale love story that doesn't end up with the beautiful girl living happily in the castle with the handsome prince. It is the ending that gets me everytime. This is a truly beautiful movie.