Tim Burton and Johnny Depp, the dream team of quirky quasi-horror films, are back together for the 8th time, this time for a remake of the 60's TV Show, Dark Shadows. From start to finish this is clearly a Burton-Depp movie, with the measured combination of violence, humour and weird making for a fun and unique experience.
I suppose the first thing I should talk about is the Burton hallmark, the way he takes some very dark and serious themes and explores them through a playful narrative. This is essentially a story about a man named Barnabas Collins who is cursed to live forever as a vampire, and as a vampire Barnabus kills a lot of people and does some very morbid things, but you still like him, you still laugh, and you still want him to defeat the evil witch and get the girl of his dreams. Its not a terribly exiting or original story, but it does a lot of work to bring the characters together and develop relationships you can really relate with in a fun and easy manner. The Dark Shadows narrative combines the plot, characters and setting into something that feels naturally playful, which is a big improvement from Burton's previous films where the narrative feels forced and contrived.
Speaking of setting, Dark Shadows does a great job of re-imagining the town of Collinsport for both the 1700's and the 70's. The majority of the movie is spent in the 70's, where Burton does his best to expose us to as many pop-culture references as possible. The cinematography is on the whole a dark and forboding capture of some beautiful scenery... which is then punctuated with bright neon lights, microwaves, and all sorts of oddities that signify the 70's. My favourite part though was the music, they definitely captured the sounds of the 70's and the various soundtracks playing in background adds layers and layers of depth and authenticity.
But it is the acting and characterisation where this movie shines, and with cast boasting the likes of Johnny Depp, Eva Green, Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloe Grace Moretz, Helena Bonham Carter and Jackie Earle Haley, you would expect nothing less. Depp is charming as usual, Green plays the smoking hot witch with a great body and a bad attitude to match, Pfeiffer is strong and opinionated which makes her perfect in the role of a 70's matriarch, Carter plays the psychiatrist using the wide range of quirks we know her for, and Haley also adds a bit of flavour as the woefully unobservant but dry witted groundskeeper. But is it Moretz who steals the show as the troubled teenager who is inspired by music from The Doors, who just wants to move her body, and who just wants her voice to be heard. At the age of 15 she is a remarkable young actress and I will watch any of her movies.
In summary, this is a return to form for Burton. While it may be a bit light in terms of story, Dark Shadows really excels when it comes to characters, setting, direction and cinematography. Its not the best film I have seen this year, but it is a long way from the worst movies I saw last year, and it is easy for me to recommend.
