FILMBRATS - REVIEWS

On her normal route, door-to-door make-up saleswoman Peg comes across the same supposedly abandoned mansion she always sees. Today, she decides to go in. Up the long, creepy, winding stairs, lurking in the attic is a young man – with scissors for hands. He’s a surprisingly shy type who appears to be relatively harmless, so Peg brings the lonely Edward home. The townspeople aren’t quite as excited about his arrival, because anything new can startle or frighten them. But they’ll soon learn that Edward belongs in the community too. Doesn’t he?

Director Tim Burton and writer Caroline Thompson bring us a truly original modern-day fairytale. The storybook setting is laid out perfectly, from the old woman narrator to the stereotypical character types to the flamboyantly rich locations. Stefan Czapsky’s cinematography captures the outrageous neighborhood locales beautifully. The quirkiness of the town is accentuated with the unusually bright and vivid houses, painted in various shades of neon and electric pastel. In fact, Edward could easily be considered the most normal one in the bunch.

Edward (played brilliantly by Johnny Depp -- “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “21 Jump Street”) represents the audience. He comes to the town as a fish out of water. Normally, this situation would be clichéd, but it is a fairytale being told and the circumstances are a little unusual. What makes this story different is that we’re learning together. We watch Edward figure out how to do “simple” things such as eat with utensils, or sit on furniture without wrecking it, and we’re enthralled because we want to know how its done, too. His easy-going temperament contradicts with the nosy, busybody dynamic of the town. They’re insanely quirky, while Edward, like us, just wants to live a normal existence without all of that extra fuss.

The story is expertly crafted and a marvelous piece of storytelling. One of the great aspects of it is that Edward, until later, isn’t considered a monster. The town generally accepts him for the anomaly/curiosity that he is. He’s even able to take on odd jobs cutting hair and pruning hedges. The earlier part of the movie plays off the comedic possibilities of someone like him, and he’s in on the joke. The relationships not only within the town, but also within the family are fantastically simple yet effective. Alan Arkin, Peg’s husband Bill, steals the scenes while showing off all his dad knowledge in the realms of business, money and bowling.

But the movie isn’t all pitch perfect. Danny Elfman’s score essentially carries the film at parts. It’s showcased a little too heavily for my taste. I would have liked to see the explanation/origin of Edward a little sooner than it was finally revealed. And the conflict is actually minimal to non-existent for quite a long time. These are minor points, because this movie is a fantastic film that’s well worth watching and could be enjoyed over and over again, just like a good fairytale.

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