Movie Review: EDWARD SCISSORHANDS

EDWARD SCISSORHANDS

1990
PG-13

Edward Scissorhands is a 1990 dramatic fantasy film directed by Tim Burton that centers around a man who has, well, scissors for hands. When local suburban AVON representative Peg (Dianne Wiest) can't find anyone in her neighborhood to whom she can sell her products, she makes her way to the abandoned and mysterious mansion on the hill overlooking the town. What she finds is a young, scarred man named Edward (Johnny Depp) who has scissor-like contraptions in place of hands. Filled with compassion, Peg brings him to her home in suburbia, where he immediately becomes the talk of the town, despite his apparent handicap. He easily assimilates into Peg's home, quickly earning the trust and admiration of her husband Bill (Alan Arkin) and son Kevin (Robert Oliveri) after using his "hands" to create beautiful lawn art out of the bushes. When the neighbors start to take notice, they also fall in love with his skill, which he quickly expands into hair styling. However, things start to change after Peg and Bill's daughter Kim (Winona Ryder) comes home from a camping trip with her boyfriend Jim (Anthony Michael Hall), and Edward starts to develop feelings for her.

I could probably go a little further with the above synopsis, but I think cutting it there leaves a little bit of intrigue for those of you who may not have seen this film just yet. I know that it's taken me much too long to give this one a gander, and I've actually taken quite a bit of flak for waiting this long. Because I'm a bit of a fan of Burton's stuff - he ranks at number eleven on my list of favorite directors - I knew that I'd have to see it at one point or another.

Edward Scissorhands definitely has that Tim Burton feel to it, and it's absolutely unmistakable from the very first moment. I can't quite tell you just what makes Burton films so magical, but they're undeniably so and in the best way possible. Despite having that special stamp on it, however, I wasn't entirely impressed with the film's screenplay. It's definitely something special, but I felt like it sorta just started without giving a terrible amount of exposition. For some films, that works incredibly well, but in the case of this movie, I wanted a little bit more at the beginning to establish the overall setting. Once the film gets going, however, it's definitely captivating. The atmosphere presented in the suburban town is both ironic and bitingly funny. The contrast between Edward's Gothic exterior and the pastel coloring of the suburbs is astonishingly hilarious, and it sets the stage for the ultimate shift that occurs as the film progresses.

The acting does well to balance the screenplay, especially from our lead in Johnny Depp. It's a very reserved role, with his best moments coming when he's not saying anything at all. A lot is told through his eyes, which is just a testament to his effectiveness as an actor. The rest of the cast fills out nicely, with the aforementioned characters doing a very good job. I'd also like to give some credit to some minor characters, including Kathy Baker and a wonderfully fantastic Vincent Price in his last on-screen role in a theatrical film. If anyone ever needed to be in a Tim Burton film, it's the perennially brilliant Price, and even though he only spends a few minutes on-screen, his mere presence resonates throughout the entire film.

Overall, Edward Scissorhands is definitely an enjoyable film. Although I had a little bit of issue in the early going, it works itself out rather nicely and proves to pack a rather emotional punch at the end. I don't want to give too much away, but if you find yourself getting entrapped in this movie, then I think you're going to appreciate it all the more.

Movie Review Summary:

Grade: B+
1.5 Thumbs Up

Movie Review: THE DILEMMA

THE DILEMMA

2011
PG-13

You can watch the trailer here

The Dilemma is a 2011 comedy directed by Ron Howard that follows Ronny (Vince Vaughn) who finds his best friend’s wife Geneva (Winona Ryder) while she’s cheating on her husband Nick (Kevin James). All the while, Ronny and Nick are trying to seal a deal with a new type of car engine with Chrysler, and Ronny is trying to work up the courage to propose to his longtime girlfriend Beth (Jennifer Connelly). Ronny starts to question whether he should tell Nick about what he saw, but he decides to take matters into his own hands and confronts both Geneva and her new boy-toy Zip (Channing Tatum).

We’re not getting much from the screenplay. It’s not entirely innovative, and it’s definitely predictable. As interesting as it is to see Ronny go through all the ups and downs while he struggles with this decision, you never really shake the thought that it’s all going to end up okay between him and Nick. I just never got the sense that there was actually a “dilemma,” so to speak. Yeah, there’s a situation on-screen, but I never felt like there was an urgency or anything pressing to it.

The acting is okay, but it’s not like the actors are knocking it out of the park. To be honest, when Channing Tatum is the best actor on the screen, there’s something a little bit wrong. Vaughn and James essentially mailed in their performances. Ryder and Connelly have their moments. But it’s Tatum who steals the scenes he’s in. I’m not sure whether it’s the fact that he brings his A-game or the fact that everybody else didn’t manage to bring more than their C-game. Oh, and Queen Latifah has a small role that almost makes the movie un-watchable. The filmmakers probably thought they’d get the rauchiness from her role, but it just comes across as annoying and unnecessary (no, seriously – they didn’t need that role).

I know that I’m kinda berating this movie a bit, but it’s not the most horrendous flick I’ve ever seen. It does enough to keep you captivated, and there are a few moments that are worth seeing. The Dilemma simply isn’t a movie that’s going to stick with you for a long time after you see it – it’s a one-and-done kind of film, and that’s probably all it ever set out to be.

Movie Review Summary:
Grade: C-
Thumbs Sideways