Razor Sharp

It seems strange that while I've seen more than a few Tim Buton movies that I knew ahead of time I probably wasn't going to like (my lukewarm opinion of his Batman, for example, didn't give me high hopes for Batman Returns), I'd never gotten around to seeing one that has been fairly widely praised -- Edward Scissorhands. But now I've corrected that oversight. And I'm sorry I waited so long to do it, because I think it might just be his very best movie. (You've got competition, Sweeney Todd.)

To me, the most commendable thing about the movie is its script. It is, of course, a familiar blend of existing stories, Frankenstein, most noticeably. But the first half of the movie runs a different course. This gothic character comes to suburbia... and is an absolute hit. Housewives, children, animals all love him; he even makes an appearance on television. We all know it's going to turn sour eventually, but I think it really deepens the movie that it waits so long to go dark. Coming from Tim Burton, the restraint is even more remarkable.

Perhaps he could muster it because the "lighter" side of this concept had so much meat in it. He's directed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory since then, so perhaps it's no surprise that Burton could put weird undertones into a bright and colorful world. Nevertheless, the suburban backdrop here is just perfect. Every house is a different solid pastel tone (without even any trim), like every day is Easter. People leave for work and arrive home all at the same minute, a line of cars on parade. And looming over it all, this sinister mansion on an impossible hill. It's a perfect storybook.

Of course, it is presented as a story, with Winona Ryder bookending it with remarkable emotion. Johnny Depp, of course, is also incredible, doing a lot with a little in a very subtle performance. The supporting cast, from Kathy Baker to Alan Arkin to Vincent Price, are all wonderful.

But the real star of the show is Dianne Wiest. I think she has the most "heavy lifting" in the movie, and every single moment of it works. She makes you feel everything the audience supposed to feel, without once making it seem unnatural or like you're being led deliberately.

It's a grade A movie, and I plan on adding it to my collection.