Johnny Depp as a Cockney!

Rating: 7/10 (8 April 2005)

The rather scarily-titled 'From Hell' is an entertaining piece of Hollywood hokum about Jack the Ripper. Without giving too much away, it offers a new spin on old material (although seasoned 'Ripperologists' will find little to surprise them). Johnny Depp works surprisingly well as cockney detective Inspector Abberline, and the cast is uniformly strong - although some might think that casting Heather Graham as an Irish/Cockney prostitute is pushing credibility a bit! Still, this is an enjoyable romp and there's no need to let realism get in the way of the fun. Frankly a lot of the characters seem to have stepped straight out of 'Oliver', but it hardly seems to matter. That said, the atmosphere is genuinely chilling at times, and it's interestingly filmed in a style reminiscent of comic books (the script was based on a graphic novel). Not one to take too seriously, but fun fodder for a wet Wednesday evening with the curtains drawn.