elephantastic

Rating: 9/10 (31 January 2003)

Many of David Lynch's films leave you wondering if you're watching a pantomime by mistake - splice the overacting of Dennis Hopper with the bizarre facial contortions and howlings of Laura Dern and you have one of the Ugly Sisters from Cinderella.
But the combination of Lynch's dream-like style of story-telling and the moving, yet restrained, performances of John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins and Freddie Jones works exceptionally well. The Elephant Man is a truly moving study of human dignity told not only with style but with compassion and understanding too.
David Lynch should work with British actors more often.
9/10