@eddiebinge reviews: The Limehouse Golem (2017)
Eddie plays: Uncle (IMDb link)
It’s been a while since we’ve posted a Binge review (we are eternally sorry!) but with a whole five films featuring Eddie on at the cinema this month, there couldn’t be a better time to start posting again. The Limehouse Golem, one of the smorgasbord of new Eddie films for us to sink our teeth into, interested us the most.
Set in 1880s London’s grimy Limehouse district, and steered by Detective Inspector Kildare (Bill Nighy) and his bobby partner George Flood (Daniel Mays), the film investigates a series of gruesome murders. They follow no pattern but are all suspected to be committed by an unknown killer locals dub ‘the Golem’. The story is a theatrical one, with much of the main cast of characters hailing from a music hall theatre company.
Eddie plays theatre owner, Tommy Farr, seemingly sweet, bespectacled, and affectionally known as “Uncle” to the actors. He discovers Lizzie (Olivia Cooke), an orphaned and abused young woman aspiring to join the company and tread the boards beside Dan Leno (Douglas Booth). In what we thought a rushed sequence, Leno takes her in and she works her way up through the ranks until she’s a star in her own right. However, it’s not all plain sailing. The film opens at its close with Lizzie arrested for poisoning her playwright husband and, in a series of flashbacks spurred by Kildare’s investigations, we see how her story weaves with that of the Golem’s.
Almost every character in this mystery is hiding something, whether it’s murder, it’s up for Kildare and Flood to uncover. The pair have their secrets too, bonding them in an unlikely way (though perhaps a tad one-sided). The twists and turns, flashbacks and flashforwards, keep you glued to your seat, changing your mind every minute. Who is the Golem?
Go see it at the cinema and find out!
Favourite moment:
While Eddie didn’t have much screen time, his scenes were integral for forwarding the plot. His character helped prove Lizzie doesn’t need a male saviour to find her own path to stardom and, actor or not, everyone wears a mask.
We usually have a GIF in this section. Seeing as the film hasn’t been released on DVD yet, here’s one of Uncle tipping his hat to Lizzie, nabbed from the trailer:
Cuteometer rating: [7]
When Uncle was cute he was super cute and when he was creepy he was super creepy. On second viewing, we suspect his sweeter scenes will appear much more sinister; it might even push the score higher.
Bingo score: [2/9]
BEWARE! SPOILERS AHEAD.
☑ He dies ☑ Take your top off!
It was a close call with A nice cuppa, as he does enjoy an afternoon tea with Lizzie (cucumber sandwiches and all). But he didn’t drink his tea on screen, so it doesn’t count.
And yeah, he plops his clogs. Classic Eddie.
SPOILERS END HERE.
Our rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Despite enjoying this film, we’ve knocked a star off for one reason: the lack of scenes with Kildare and Flood. Great characters with the potential to be even greater, their lack of character depth/screen time left us wanting.
Where to watch: At the cinema! Go. Go now!