This film highlights the Americans love of unsolved mysteries and this time they are looking at the Jack the Ripper story. Starring Johnny Depp and Heather Graham there are some other names as Ian Holm, Robbie Coltrane, Ian Richardson, and Jason Flemyng. Released in 2001 as an American Slasher movie directed by the Hughes Brothers (they do like a violent movie do these twins). The movie made a modest profit at the box office and some of that came out of my pocket!
This is an American take on the Jack the Ripper story and I seem to remember they talked about the special effects and gore beforehand more than the story. It is obviously set in 1888 Whitechapel east London and follows the investigation into the murders of the prostitute’s as they occur. Johnny plays lead investigator Inspector Frederick Abberline he is a troubled but sympathetic officer with an addiction to opium which helps him dream which helps with solving cases. With Prostitution and gangs forcing the whores to walk the streets the girls soon realise they are risking their lives to get enough money to live after the second murder. Mary Kelly (Heather) starts to fall for Abberline and the two become interested in each other. Mary’s friend Ann is kidnapped and they are drawn into a conspiracy with links higher up than they could of possibly imagine. He becomes deeply involved with the case which takes him on a personal journey and he steadily makes progress on the case it becomes clear the women, Mary and not even the Inspector is safe from the hidden figure in the shadows that could strike at any moment.
OK enough hyping up of this movie, the story is something that I have a passing interest in. I cannot say I have studied this story but I have got an interest in the subject. It is one of the things in London history that was never resolved so allows for so many different views and takes on the story. I particularly remember a TV series that followed the case starring Michael Caine which I have to say would have got a higher score than this story. There were a few things that made this movie slide down my scoring. We are in gritty ‘orrid East End London in the late 1800’s yet a whore on the streets of London (Graham) has perfect make up and teeth. Yet all her prostitute friends are all grimy and whore like. Playing Mary Kelly and knowing the story you should already know her fate even if you are watching for the first time. So how the hell will we get the usual American style happy ending? Well I leave that one with you. This was based on a graphic novel of the same name and to be honest it may have pointed many people to the comic rather than becoming big fans of this movie. Again, with the section of the list I am going to use the term ‘Its Alright!’ but not much more than that.
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