I confess before I even try reviewing this beautiful movie: I’m a Johnny Depp fan, moreso with each movie I see; I’m a budding filmmaker with ideas that some might, and some have, call as bad as Edward D. Wood’s; and I have gender issues. Maybe this is why I like this film, but I would love to just say it’s because it is a great movie, and I think it is.

Performances all round are superb – Martin Landau is a revelation, I don’t think he’s ever played as far from himself as he does in this movie. This is the kind of transformation that today would warrant a leading Oscar. It’s great that he won for supporting. It’s a shame the movie didn’t win more than this and make-up (odd, is this the most Oscars a single character has ever won in a movie?) Johnny Depp is, of course, perfect. And Tim Burton made a great decision for once ditching Danny Elfman’s music in favour of Howard Shore’s. Shore’s opening theme sounds very like Elfman, but later in the movie when things get slightly heavy and poignant, Shore is much more able than Elfman in my opinion.

I really don’t know how to be objective about this movie – but if you ever thought you had a great idea but were afraid to let it out ‘cos you knew that really it was stupid, then this movie will make you want to let it out.

Tags: biography, gender, top 250

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