Edward Scissorhands, dir. Tim Burton

Zero and Wiz RECOMMEND Edward Scissorhands

Combining a gothic horror monster with a 1950s aesthetic and sensibility, Edward Scissorhands takes this odd mash-up and turns it into an allegorical story on being an outsider and the vapidness of suburban life.

Edward has Johnny Depp as the title character who's scarred face, leather and buckle attire hides a very child-like, mousey demeanor. The character, as well as the house he is in, is evocative of classic horror films from the classic Hollywood era with it's exaggerated proportions and drapery of cob webs.

And yet, instead of the characters being instantly terrified of the pasty, scissor mittened monstrosity, they are fascinatingly curious (save for the lady who believes he's a demon).

This leads to the film having an absurdist, almost satirical tone that reminds of "Dennis the Menace" or "Leave It To Beaver" but where the ancillary characters are so paper thin they are used in the joke of the film itself.

It's this tone that makes for the film's most potent laughs, whether it's the knowing ridiculousness of the premise or the way the other characters react to the Edward trying to function in this society he's being thrust in.

But Edward's light tone and unseriousness of the characters is what gives the film the charm to buy in while the meat of the film gets fully digested into the viewer.

What could have easily been a "fish out of water" comedy becomes a thoughtful story on how people treat those who are different and those who are willing to accept them.

With Edward being a character that doesn't speak all that much, it's reliant on the other characters to do the heft of the work and it's Dianne Wiest and Winona Ryder's characters that do a fantastic job of providing it.

Wiest's performance is both hilarious and heartwarming as she plays someone, while buying into the puddle deep intellectual lifestyle of suburban banality, is one of the few who have convictions of kindness and how hard it is to be that way in this setting.

Ryder's character, although not as prominent in the film, also does a great job showing the societal pressures that Edward would have to conform to for acceptance.

The film is beautifully told when sticking to that template, but when the film veers into the romance between Edward and Kim (Ryder's character) it doesn't quite hit the mark.

That said, this is probably a call-back to movies where the ingenue falls for the beast that is capturing her and is not to be taken too deeply, but when the framing device of the film happens to involve that romance it seems like a stumble.

Honestly though, Edward Scissorhands is another example of why I should probably watch more of Burton's older films. After watching Beetlejuice last year and thoroughly enjoying it, it might be high time to give his other films another chance.

But for Edward, great performances and a surprisingly deep story make this more than an absurdist comedy with dark elements.

It's a touching, thoughtful film about society and how skin deep it can be while claiming it's deeper and more profound than it truly is.