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Directed by Written by Adapted from the Featuring Presented by 117 minutes |
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SWEENEY TODD:
The collaboration of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp has been one of the most important actor-director team ups of the past two decades. Their films have been either hit (ED WOOD, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS) to miss (CHARLIE & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY) but in any case, there’s no doubt that the two are important to each other. In the case of SWEENEY TODD, Burton adapted the Soundheim musical with Depp cast in the lead as the vengeful serial killer. While it’s not their best collaboration (that goes to ED WOOD), it was a film grossly overlooked at the Oscars in several categories as it is one of the most fun and entertaining films of 2007. Wrongly imprisoned by a lustful judge longing for his wife, Benjamin Barker (Depp) is sent to prison while the evil Judge Turpin (a great Alan Rickman) steals the wife and daughter. Many years later, Barker returns to London under a new moniker, Sweeney Todd, and takes shop above the bakery of Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), where he extracts his plan for revenge by using his barber shop as a means to murder his clients while Mrs. Lovett disposes the remains by making them the main ingredient in her meat pies. With this story as a musical, it is tailor made for Burton. The movie won an Oscar for its art direction, and deserves it, as the film is shot gorgeously in a combination of striking grey visuals with vibrant colors, and 19th century London has never looked finer. At 116 minutes, the film moves at a brisk pace, with the music surprisingly well done and the actors singing the tunes. While the film has such a great look, it feels and moves like a play. I felt while watching the film that I was in a theater watching the actors live before my eyes. It’s a great testament to the direction of Burton, who has never been better. Johnny Depp deserved his Oscar nomination for his darkest role to date, as his portrayal of Sweeney Todd is ghoulish and remarkable. Depp also provides a surprisingly great singing voice for the music, and his movements with his razor blades are done gracefully and beautifully. Helena Bonham Carter gives one of her best roles as the wicked Mrs. Lovett, proving her to be a fine actress and one with a beautiful singing voice as well. Rickman shines also as Turpin, and his scenes with Todd are magnetic. Young Jamie Campbell Bower is fine as Anthony, the young lad who arrives to London with Todd who also has an attraction to Turpin’s ward (and Todd’s daughter) Johanna, which are the only moments where the film feels slow. Being that Burton adapted a three hour play into a two hour musical, most of the scenes between Anthony and Johanna were cut and their relationship does suffer a little. Sasha Baron Cohen is sensational in a small but pivotal role as Signor Pirelli, a con artist promising a baldness cure which brings forth Todd’s wrath. Providing a good singing voice, if they ever do a movie on Queen, Cohen would be a perfect choice for Freddie Mercury. Tim Burton was robbed of a Best Director nomination, as this is his finest moment as director. It’s a very brave choice as a film because despite it being a musical, this is a horror film plain and simple. There is a lot of blood, with throats slashed and blood splatter galore, but the blood shown here isn’t as realistic as some slasher films. I think this was a brilliant choice by Burton because it adds to the theatrics of the film. The blood reminded me of Romero’s DAWN OF THE DEAD in its look, but it works enough where it will turn some heads. In all, SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET is a great film, one of Burton’s best, and is a great horror/musical. It was overlooked at the Oscars but it should have a great life on DVD. Johnny Depp fans will love the macabre turn by him, as his Oscar nomination was well deserved, and musical fans will appreciate that Burton remained extremely faithful to the original musical. This is a purely entertaining film, and one that will be a cult classic in years to come. SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET: 9 Out of 10 Maggots
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