Stylish with less to offer.. with a "Hell, yeah!" (a curse of the pun)

Rating: 6/10 (4 September 2016)

**** May contain strong spoilers ****
Right into the 19th century in the heart of England. The accents, the people and the city gives a breath of the time. Nice little touch with a man giving illegal protection to prostitutes, instead of being the ordinary coupler. Being true to both the age and the country (speaking of the language) raises the bar both for what may come in the movie and also creates the precise and trustworthy frame to "From hell". Joyce Gallie and Sally Osoba has been able to gather true British talent in seeking of the authentic expression; Ian Holm, Ian McNiece and Robbie Coltrane is just a few there.
As of many movies that Johnny Depp is both involved in and also acts in, there is an vast theatrical sense going right through the screen in here. Maybe it fits the 19th century as the story is rolling out into, and maybe it fits anyway. It made me wonder, even so. Interesting to watch with those clear and explicit expressions and acting.
The way Jack The Ripper is presented shows what way the producers, the writers and the entire team behind the motion picture wanted to go. The criminal killer is embedded in a gentle costume that has a solitude feeling of a sophisticated count, with the black cape, pure white gloves and the black hat. Add the little toolbox by velvet with knifes and such that is treated with a careful hand, being clean, in order and structured... then you have "The Ripper" in here... as a terrifying and hidden monster growing for more... As if being displayed on stage as theatre. Appreciated!
Some special effects blended with dark orchestral music creates moments here and there that pushes this film upwards both in entertainment and quality, besides the planning of the mentioned. A picture is taken of the photographer; flash, and a black and white second is being displayed. 28 min and 30 seconds, a blood red sky gives the impression of the pure grit that grips hold of the situation. Astonishing! At 41 minutes, the fast cuts as knifes cuts through the air showing the instruments of dissect, and a filter of strange colour for the screen. The colour of red is recurring here and there, just to underline the stream of blood that is important for the "refined gentleman that has drops of blood in the wine and eats rare steaks", Mr. Ripper himself. A delicate touch of art, there.
Underneath all this theatrical undertones, expressed acting and the story itself, there lies a clear social question mark; how far will the human being go for the sake of science? Can it be any good in killing innocent people to receive and get the answer for important breakthroughs in medical and scientific matters?
Can it be any good in showing horrible diseases as in the old freak shows and circuses, to get the mentioned breakthroughs? Just look at about 46 minutes into "From hell". Interesting how Joyce Gallie and Sally Osoba gets the whole storyline together, indeed.
Raw brutality and effective and close detective work, plus the atmosphere that it all brings into "From hell". In "The Silence Of The Lambs", it's "I ate his liver with a can of beans and a bottle of Chianti". In "From hell"; "I send you half the kidney I took from one woman, preserved for you. The other piece, I fried and ate. It was very nice!". Psychological frightening. And then, the title being mentioned in its fully state: 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Sadly, "From hell" only reaches a little above a good movie. To reach for the high and excellent rate, they should have pushed more into the actors, pushed more into the written dialogue both in timing and social expressions as for a more vast and appropriate vocabulary (as some expressions is over used, such as "these unfortunates" and "whores"), more well written screenplay, worked harder for the extras/the figurants to be better, dug deeper for the special effects, pushed harder for the realism and the authentic feeling of the blood and the gore, a more believable and distanced relationship between Abberline and Mary, and created a better soundtrack. Then, "From hell" would have taken a better place in movie history.
I really want to give this film a higher rate. And.. again, sadly, I will settle with around 6-7.
Over to the movie as a product: - The production : Very well made! Costumes, the era of the century, the society... then some little vague production speaking of let's say the blood. - The actors : Some good, some just above approved. This kind of movie maybe sort the acting out by itself, leaving an experience of art for the viewer. Robbie Coltrane gives a solid touch of the sophisticated yet straightforward English man; nice to see. Heather Grahams attempts to give the character some depth is dearly missed, I might say. They should have gone with some other actress there (to get the innocent prostitute with working moral and social ambition) to grow and be displayed. - Entertainment : Yes. - Age : 15 or maybe even 18. This is due to the grotesque art that the story gives, and also the cruelty, the harsh environment and much nasty gore. Add Jack The Ripper, some horror elements and a mysterious form of script line, and maybe 18.
6,5 out of 10. (The final rate is based most on my own entertainment of the movie. Short elucidation of the rating: 6 Nice production. Good movie. 5 Approved.)