Moody horror that covers the holes in it's plot with a great atmos-fear

Rating: Null/10 (4 February 2002)

In 1888, Inspector Abberline investigates the case of `Jack the Ripper', who is murdering his through a group of poor whores on London's streets. As he grows close to one of the prostitutes, he also begins to detect a conspiracy that is higher than he suspected.
Adapted from the Alan Moore/Eddie Campbell comic this is a dark little horror movie. The story opens and closes with Abberline in an opium den (draw your assumptions from that) and follows his investigation into the murders of several whores. The story uncovers a conspiracy that involves police, special branch, masons, surgeons and perhaps royalty. The middle section is the one you need to be focused during - at one time there are quite a few possibilities bouncing around and you need to concentrate. However in the latter stages the story is clearer as the Ripper is revealed - although his portrayal as a psycho and an intelligent controlled man don't sit well together.
Story aside the film's strength is in it's direction, it's sets, costume and total sense of place and mood. The sets are excellent and 19th century London is well recreated. The mood brought to the streets at night also deserves praise, the camera moves around shadowy streets - however it does it without cheap `jump out of shadows' teen-slasher style tricks, here it is more a sense of fear than a series of sudden shocks. The directors bring plenty of fresh tricks to the story - plenty of imaginative scenes (including one where a victim lies still while the action around her body speeds up to get to the morning), and there are plenty of quick cuts and edits to make us create our own horror. The creation of unseen horror is well done by the sound effects - there are plenty of blade noises, cutting of skin etc - you don't see it onscreen, but you can't help but see it.
The film most horrible idea is of London ruled by a cold Queen who only sees poor subjects as things or material to be worked with. This idea is played through the elite - the masons are happy to do anything to achieve their aims, experimental surgery is played out in front of audiences and the disfigured are not seen as people. This concept, added to the excellent mood and direction make up for the weaknesses in the plot and the occasional bad performance.
Depp is good as Abberline - a stronger willed man that his Sleepy Hollow character, and manages to do a good accent for most of the film. Heather Graham is not as good - she's too pretty to be one of the whores and her accent wavers regularly between London and LA. She is good for most of her scenes, but her scenes with the rest of her whores seem overdone by all the ladies. The group of women all seem to be saying their dialogue extra loud and with extra accent - I can't really describe it but they don't feel natural. The rest of the cast are filled out with excellent Brits - Holm, Richardson, Rhys and a small role for a well known face in Lock, Stock's Jason Flemyng as coach driver Netley.
Overall this is good - the fear is instilled through sound, mood and shadows. The final 15 minutes feels like it reverts to a standard thriller with a standard mad bad guy, and the end may be a little too happy - but just remember it opens AND closes with Abberline off on opium (get it?).