The Ruination Of Johnny Depp
So I was looking at this picture of Johnny Depp as The Mad Hatter from the latest Tim Burton weird-fest Alice In Wonderland when it suddenly struck me: Burton has ruined this excellent actor. Of course, Depp has always specialized in strange characters. His first films - Edward Scissorhands, Benny and Joon, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, and Ed Wood- definitely contained some bizarre characterizations from him. But what made these performances so special was the humanity and depth that Depp instilled in each one; they were fun characters, but they also had a recognizable center full of heart and warmth. As Depp moved into the second phase of his career, he branched out into difficult roles like the ones in Donnie Brasco, Blow, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, andFinding Neverland. These were not cartoons or caricatures; they were adult roles that tackled complex subjects. At this point, it seemed, Depp was transcending his teeny-boppper beginnings and growing into a respectable and powerful actor. Unfortunately, Depp has continued his creative alliance with Burton, whose films have become increasingly removed from reality. In turn, this seems to have affected Depp's performances, both in and out of Burton's universe. In the last five years, Depp has made the following films: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the three Pirates of the Caribbean films, Public Enemies, and Alice in Wonderland. In only one - Public Enemies- could anyone argue that Depp played a recognizable human character that wasn't a complete cartoon. The rest of those performances are shallow, one-note performances lacking in the depth that made some of his earlier craziness so enduring. Even his Jack Sparrow characterization, much vaunted by a stunned public at the time, is lunacy without any real point.