#1178 The Limehouse Golem
Verfasst: 2017-08-15 0:38
"The Limehouse Golem" - with which Miami-born filmmaker Juan Carlos Medina makes his english-lamguage directorial debut - features fictional murders and main characters in inspector Killdare (Bill Nighy, who only joined the production after Alan Rickman had to give up the role due to his battle with cancer - the film is dedicated to the actor who died early last year for that reason) and accused murderer Elizabeth Cree (Olivia Cooke, whom we first met on the 21st sneak birthday as the titular "Dying Girl" with "Me and Earl"), but many other figures, like Karl Marx, actor Dan Leno, and novelist George Gissing, are actual historical figures who really lived in london in the late 19th century. Furthermore, some of the murders of the so-called Limehouse Golem bear more than a passing resemblance to those commited by the infamous Jack the Ripper a few years after the events of the film.
This all is no accident, as the film is based on the 1994 novel "Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem" by british biographer and novelist Peter Ackroyd. Ackroyd's novels often center around his hometown, the city of London, in various eras; he has a knack for mixing fictional stories with real historic figures and events. The script by Jane Goldman (who co-wrote "Kick-Ass", "Kingsman" and "X-Men: First Class", among other things) ditches the narrator of the book and instead follows Nighy Killdare and his investigation, but retains most of the historical details, as can be seen in the trailer:
What did you think about "The Limehouse Golem"? Did you enjoy the recreation of victorian London? How did you like the main performances by Cooke and Nighy, and the various historical figures? How do you compare the film to other victorian thrillers? Please don't scribble into book at the library, but rather post your thoughts about the film as a reply to this post.
