Thursday, October 27, 2011
Edohotep
Director: John Landis.
Writers: Piers Ashworth and Nick Moorcroft.
Movies based on real life events can be a tough sell, but when the direction is right, just what audiences can see can be a fun romp into history. But Burke and Hare is hardly an accurate account of the West Port Murders. But with the teaming of director John Landis with two powerhouse stars in the likes of Simon Pegg as Burke and Andy Serkis as Hare, there are only two words for this: buddy film.
In what Burke and Hare does to earn money, the results can be best described as cantankerous. When they get caught stealing corpses to milk a cash cow, all these unwieldy criminals can do is to avoid the kerfuffle that ensues. Now try saying that in one breath. Their antics lead to some hilarious results, and this is a comedy pairing that isn't seen all that often. Serkis proves he can play an impoverished role without motion-capture gizmos wrapped all around him. This movie is very much needed to launch Serkis into the real life scene than virtual. All this film and video release has to do is to arrive in North America, so audiences can see Serkis play more than Caesar from Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
Pegg is in fine form too as the love-smitten Burke; he falls for Ginny Hawkins (Isla Fisher) and everything he does is all in the name of love. Sadly, Edinburgh is not France and this film is not Moulin Rouge. There's another tale here, and it moves in a solid enough direction that, unless audiences are not familiar with the goings on of 19th century medical science, comes to an ironic end.
Landis does a great job in recreating the muddy conditions of the era, and he imbues this film with his trademark style. But this film is hardly vintage Landis at his best. He's better known for the Blues Brothers, where there's plenty of high rolling action, and An American Werewolf in London, where the comedy and supernatural themes are sublime. The laughs found in Burke and Hare are more like chuckles.
More than a decade has elapsed since he last sat in the director's chair. The ten years away from cinema was spent directing for television, which is a different beast altogether. At least Landis hasn't lost his touch. Burke and Hare make for a good light-hearted watch, and afterwards, when the tale is finally told, some may be inclined to look up what actually happened in the West Port Murders.
Overall: 7 out of 10.
The film's fan page:
Burke and Hare on Facebook
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Posted in: 2011,2011 release,Andy Serkis,burke and hare,east london,killer,killer movie,london,movie poster,movie review,serial killer,simon pegg
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