Inspector Abberline (Johnny Depp) must solve the case of a killer who kills, according to precise rituals, only certain prostitutes and who signs himself Jack the Ripper. In the course of the investigation, he makes the acquaintance of Dr. Gull (Ian Holm), who will help him understand the killer's profile, and prostitute Mary Kelly (Heather Graham), with whom he falls in love and a friend of the murdered female colleagues. Abberline often uses opium and other hallucinogenic substances, which bring him to a cathartic stage and give him strange visions of the murderer and his heinous crimes. But eventually the truth is revealed in all its horror, involving the upper echelons of Victorian London. The last half-hour of the film is cinematic.
It now seems to be a well-established fashion to entrust the direction to pairs of brothers (see Wachowski and Pang). In truth, the title in question is difficult to read, not suitable for all palates. It alternates between moments of tension and others of Lynch-worthy visionariness. The screenplay seems to follow only part of the original story, a factor that seems to have disturbed much press, specialized or otherwise. I wonder if to make a good film one must necessarily stick to the chronicles of the time. "From Hell" is a good film, so one cannot fault the Hughes brothers for using a little imagination.
Among the leads a special mention for the always good Johnny Depp and the extraordinary Ian Holm, who would have deserved some more recognition in his long film career. All in all, it is an ideal film for those looking for a good story with dreamlike atmospheres and not recommended for those who only chew on action and splatter.
Review by Maxena
