Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street Movie
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Storyline
TAGLINES
Never Forget. Never Forgive.
Beware! Sweeney Todd is coming. This Christmas.
Based on the 19th century legend of Sweeney Todd and the hit Broadway musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Sweeney Todd a.k.a Benjamin Barker returns to London after being sent away by Judge Turpin with the help of a sailor, Anthony Hope. He opens a barber shop above Mrs. Lovett's Meat Pie Shop were she sells "the worst pies in London." With the help of Mrs. Lovett, Todd tries to rid of all the people who have ever done him wrong and hopes to be reunited with his daughter, Joanna, who is now Judge Turpin's ward.
| Johnny Depp | Sweeney Todd |
| Helena Bonham Carter | Mrs. Lovett |
| Alan Rickman | Judge Turpin |
| Timothy Spall | Beadle Bamford |
| Sacha Baron Cohen | Signor Adolfo Pirelli |
| Jayne Wisener | Johanna |
| Jamie Campbell Bower | Anthony Hope |
| Laura Michelle Kelly | Beggar Woman |
| Ed Sanders | Tobias Ragg |
| Peter Bowles | Ballad Ghost |
| Ian Burford | |
| Michael N. Harbour | Jonas Fogg |
| Tim Burton |
7.90 out of 10 (72080 votes)
Visitor Reviews
A fine dark musical with a touch of levity
posted on 31 Aug 2009Tim Burton's interpretation of Stephen Sondheim's "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" tells the story of a murderous barber out for revenge on the judge who sent him away for a crime he didn't commit in order to steal his wife and child. The story is based on an anonymously published 'penny dreadful' from 1846-47 titled "The String of Pearls".The cast is a pretty good one which includes a couple of Burton regulars, namely Johnny Depp & Helena Bonham Carter. I'm not crazy about Depp's singing but I thought that Carter was perfect for the part. Alan Rickman & Timothy Spall were well cast in villainous roles though their singing is rather limited. Also of note, Sacha Baron Cohen has an interesting minor role as a rival barber. As for the other actors, such as Jamie Campbell Bower & Jayne Wisener, their singing abilities suggest more of a musical background than the stars.The story is an interesting revenge tale that deftly mixes dark comedy and tragedy. Burton was unsparing with the blood and produced a body count matching most horror flicks. I found the music to be hit or miss, though that seems to be mostly due to a lack of refinement on the part of most of the actors. I wouldn't say that any of the singing was bad but there were certainly at least a few songs that were unremarkable. On the flip side of the coin, there were also a few particularly memorable songs as well, such as Mrs. Lovett's wistful rendition of "By the Sea".Burton's direction is distinctive as always and he manages to capture the setting and spirit of the story admirably. The musical elements may be imperfect but the entire package makes for an attractive, memorable film. Certainly recommended for fans of musicals and it should also serve as a pretty good introduction for those who think that musicals are 'uncool'.
Grand guignol at its best...meaning razors, slit throats, dripping red stuff and enough black humor to fill a cemetery
posted on 29 Aug 2009"They all deserve to die. Tell you why, Mrs. Lovett, tell you why. Because in all of the whole human race, Mrs. Lovett, there are two kinds of men and only two. There's the one staying put in his proper place and one with his foot in the other one's face. Look at me, Mrs Lovett! Look at you! No, we all deserve to die. Even you, Mrs Lovett, even I!" If you had any doubt, that's Sweeney Todd, and he puts his philosophy to work. Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, is Stephen Sondheim's re-telling of a barber driven mad. His wife and child were taken from him by a corrupt judge, who used and destroyed the wife and kept the child, who now is a young woman. Sweeney was transported, but he managed years later to return to London. While he plans his revenge on the judge he takes his revenge on humanity. He slits the throats of those he shaves. He's fortunate in meeting Mrs. Lovett, who makes a poor living making and selling awful meat pies, the main ingredient of which is pussycat. Now with Sweeney providing a constant source of fresh meat, her pies become best sellers. Sweeney finds his daughter, but retribution is inevitable. Now, twenty- eight years after Sweeney's Broadway debut, Tim Burton, with Sondheim's encouragement, has made a movie of the show. A tragedy of revenge, as some critics have said? I'm not so sure about that...there's too much lip-smacking by Burton and Sondheim, as well as by the audience (at least the audience I was a part of) over the gore. But Sweeney Todd certainly is tops as a superb example of an engrossing, cynically humorous, fast-paced, wonderfully acted piece of flinch-inducing Grand Guignol. I enjoyed every minute of it, even while I was squinting my eyes to avoid most of the neck slitting. Even as graphic as the slicing and blood spurting was, there was something so over the top about those scenes that perhaps I'm just a softy. (But note how Sondheim mixes together the beautiful song of longing, "Johanna," with the impersonal series of throats being slit. It's startling to hear and see, and the beauty of the song nearly makes us complicit in Sweeney's on-camera blood-letting. On the stage it was even more riveting. It's a brilliant, lengthy set piece.) All the actors, I thought, did a fine job doing their own singing. Sondheim said recently in the NYTimes that he agreed completely with the decision to cast the actors first for their acting abilities and then for their singing skills, not the other way. Bonham Carter has taken some criticism, but I think she does a perfectly fine job. She has a light voice without much power behind it...but she certainly did an excellent job with her meat pies song and her by the sea song. Her characterization of the character was excellent, I thought. Fortunately, playing Mrs. Lovett isn't a zero sum gain; I think it's perfectly reasonable to enjoy what Bonham Carter does with the role while loving the ghastly comic turn Angela Lansbury gave Mrs. Lovett on stage. It would hard to think of better actors for doing such revolting jobs as degenerates than Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin and Timothy Spall as the beadle. For me, where the movie starts to slacken a bit is toward the end, when Sondheim tries to bring a sense of real tragedy to the story. That has been a problem, as far as I'm concerned, with the stage production as well as the movie. Too obvious, too "sincere" for me. Still, without the final revelations there wouldn't be a story at all. I saw the stage show shortly after it opened on Broadway, then again when a touring company brought it to St. Louis. My reaction then was the same as with nearly all Sondheim shows I've seen...too mannered, too overly intellectual, too clever. Then I listen to the recordings of the songs from his shows and I change my mind. Burton's movie (over which Sondheim had control over how the songs would be presented and over any cuts) seems to me to have resulted in a much more affective presentation, due to the style, the cuts and the trims, than the stage show. And it seems to me that Johnny Depp has established himself as the most interesting and versatile American actor of his generation, probably the most talented, too. I cannot conceive of Di Caprio, Cruise, Pitt, etc., etc., being able to carry this part, much less even taking the chance and agreeing to play it.
Average at Best
posted on 29 Aug 2009First I would like to comment on what was done right in this movie. Tim Burton certainly knows how to create a "dark" film. "Sweeny Todd" reminds me of a cross between "Nightmare Before Christmas," "Edward Scissorhands," and "The Count of Monte Cristo." Johnny Depp sure gave a fantastic performance as Sweeny Todd. As a matter of fact, all the actors/actresses did a great job both in acting and their singing. The story was pretty solid as well. Like I said it reminds me of "The Count of Monte Cristo" because Todd goes after revenge on all who had wronged him in the past. However, the way he takes his revenge is truly out of the ordinary.Not everything about this movie was great however. I had a problem with all the singing. Not that I don't like musicals, I'll be honest musicals aren't my favorites, but you couldn't really "get into" the songs. What I mean by that is take "The Wizard of Oz" or "The Phantom of the Opera" for example. These are musicals where you can sing along and the songs really add so much to the story. Outside of the song about his arm being complete I really didn't feel that the songs had much of a purpose. I also didn't care for the ending, although I'm not going to give anything away.Finally I wan't to close by disputing the 8.3 rating on IMDb. I highly disagree with this film being one of the 250th best films of all time. A raking of 6 or 7 makes since to me but 8.3 is far to high.
I cannot dispute the originality of the movie
posted on 29 Aug 2009Great lamentation to have lost 2 hours of my life watching this movie. The only thing that I have liked was how Johnny Deep performed.The make-up it was good realized, but it seemed more for a movie with witches that for one with a killer.It was really boring.Very few action, and all so predictable. Not even the script was good,because Todd wasn't a psycho, and any killer kills with a reason or for revenge.The end was the only thing that could save the movie but it was not surprising, not emotionally. Also it was very disgusting the thing with the pies. The personages didn't have any feeling, and that's why probably they didn't transmitted any feeling.I cannot dispute the originality of the movie.It was really original, but in the bad way.I prefer to watch a cliché movie.
Disney movie in disguise.
posted on 29 Aug 2009I should love this movie. I've enjoyed almost all Tim Burton films I've ever seen, and this is really more of the same, right? But... It's so insipid. Maybe I'M the one getting boring, maybe Tim Burton is losing it, who knows. Fact of the matter is that this movies made one thing painfully clear to me. Tim Burton is a director of edgeless mainstream movies if I ever saw one. Sure, there's blood, and people with black hair, and sort of crooked set designs, but it's concocted to fit a perfect formula, just like any blockbuster studio movie, and it doesn't seem to have the slightest intention of ever challenging that formula. No hint of anything truly disturbing, truly gritty, truly weird, or truly anything at all. Just a perfectly slick, formulaic, safe movie for a safe audience.I enjoy mainstream movies a lot, all they have to do is pretend to have substance and edge, and I'm willing to forgive so many flaws. But I don't think Burton ever considered challenging himself. Which to my mind makes him a very boring artist. I'm sure he's a very free spirited film maker, who makes his movies just the way he likes them, and how lovely and genuine of him that is. I'm sure Michael Bay makes movies just the way he likes them too. Doesn't make it interesting.
Blood! Gore! Tim Burton! Johnny Depp! Musical?!!!!!
posted on 29 Aug 2009Yes, you read right, it is a MUSICAL and don't worry, this is a positive review. I adore musicals with a passion, but when I was in New York in the year 2005 (when I hadn't quite caught the musical bug yet), I noticed that Sweeney Todd was a musical and what did I think?: BAD IDEA (even though i had not heard the music). 2 years later, I am now a musical nut, so, I went to see this with high expectations and guess what? That 15 year old version of me, i could've gave him a slap. Sweeney Todd is FANTASTIC!!!!!! The visual tone of Tim Burton is supremely evident in this film. Most of the film is done in a grey-tone. One noticeable feature is that with flashbacks or fantasies, the colour tone is extremely bright and colourful. And amongst the grey-tone, the blood spurts out bright red! Johnny Depp plays this role to perfection as a man with his mind warped towards vengeance. I consider him as the perfect anti-hero. Helena Bonham Carter is superb as Mrs. Lovett (Sweeney's partner in crime). She plays the very beautiful, yet wilted English rose that is Mrs. Lovett. Now, to the section which peaks my interest: the music. One word for Stephen Sondheim: Genius. The music is absolutely wonderful. These are the kind of songs that you start humming along to. I love that nearly every two minutes of dialogue is surrounded by songs. That is what makes a musical amazing. and for the last section, the violence. The reason why the legend of Sweeney Todd is infamous. Let's just say if you don't have a strong stomach, don't watch it. I'm not a fan of horror movies, but the fact that it is a musical, that makes up for it.So, to conclude, watch this film if you can because it is brilliant.And this goes to show that the movie-musical is not a dying breed of genre. BRING ON THE MOVIE MUSICALS!!!!!! 10/10
A visual achievement but that's about it
posted on 27 Aug 2009All the praise in the world deserves to be given to Set Designer Francesca Lo Schiavo, he should be a shoe in at the Oscar ceremony. Really though he is the only thing worth watching in this film besides for Alan Rickman.I have immense respect for Tim Burton and Johnny Depp but they haven't done an overly original collaboration since Ed Wood. Depp is an outstanding actor but a so-so singer at best. Burton downscales the music to the point where the numbers are very intimate and small. Tey should be much much grander after all we are adapting a very successful Broadway musical. Some of the great numbers of the play are in closed corners without much dancing or moving around.Depp is good in the speaking role but overall I felt this is one of his weaker performances. He doesn't create a voice for this character, Depp is using his conversational voice. I love Depp because of his mastery of matching voices with characters. Carter is easy on the eyes but not on the ears, her singing is more disappointing than Depp's. It's not horrible in fact it's a worthy effort, it's just that you know she doesn't have much experience in this field and that she only got the job because she's sleeping with Burton.For those concerned about the gore, it looks about the same as your standard Karo syrup solution. It's actually kind of comical because I don't know if they are trying to be realistic or silly. The musical has some dark humor but you can't really tell if it's a black comedy or a tragic musical. It tries to be both ineffectively. Burton couldn't juggle these two genres.Burton has used this dream team of Depp and Carter to the point where it has become more repetitive and annoying than Scorcesse only using DeNiro or DiCaprio. I know that these two actors weren't the most qualified to tackle these roles. I would have looked to you know someone who actually has some experience in Musical theater. Time for Burton to look back to his Rolodex of actors. Hell I'd even settle for another Keaton collaboration.Rickman on the other hand is brilliantly cast. He creates another fascinating and unique film. His Turpin is one of the most evil characters he's ever played.I realize I'm in the minority about this film but here's my opinion for what it's worth.
Reaping his vengeance!
posted on 27 Aug 2009This was another brilliant Tim Burton/Johnny Depp collaboration, it was impossible to imagine anyone but Johnny in this dark role and he had a great singing voice too.Overall there was nothing i disliked. i loved the songs, the atmosphere, the acting and the mystery of the story of Sweeney Todd. Johnny Depp was perfect in this role and i had glimpses of Edward scissorhands and Ichabod Crane in his portrayal, which was great. The atmosphere really set the scene and the stagey feel to the set made it seem more theatrical and creepy. the darkness was eerie and when watching in the cinema, it makes for an even more chilling experience.Helena Bonham-Carter was equally as good and the supporting roles were good too and their vocals strong, the rhythm of the film was flowing as fast as the blood from the razors.The blood looked a little un realistic, but i think that seemed almost more theatre like to me and keeping in tune with the stage production. I really enjoyed this film and would love to see the stage show as well as film versions of musicals do tend to trim a few songs here and there which is my only qualm.Go and see this as soon as you can and if you love Gothic horror, blood and gore, fantasy, mystery and tragedy and good Stephen Sondheim songs, you will love this.
Worst movie ever...
posted on 27 Aug 2009Musicals are, by their very nature, totally absurd. They are, as a genre, pure, unadulterated cinematic abominations.Imagine for a moment a "Saving Private Ryan", where the soldiers storming Omaha beach all take turns singing their innermost thoughts to no-one in particular as they are valiantly slaughtered en-masse.Imagine "The Godfather" or "Schindler's List" or "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" as operatic extravaganzas.You get the idea; nothing can ruin ANY movie faster than turning it into a musical. "Seeney Todd" takes this fundamental truth to an entirely new level.It's impossible for any rational mind to even begin to imagine what Tim Burton must have envisioned the end result would be as he developed this vile piece of putrescence. Whatever he hoped this film might accomplish, it fails completely and totally on every conceivable level.This film does not have a single redeeming quality that I can see. Not the story itself, definitely not the singing or the songs, and certainly not the acting...it succeeds at nothing.Some movies are merely a waste of time, but not this one; this one is a "criminal" waste of time. I not only regretted having wasted the time it took to watch this insufferable trash -- I actually wished afterwards (with all my heart) that I had never, ever seen this movie at all.This movie easily deserves it's place at the very top of my personal list of "The Worst Movies Of All Time".This film proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that Tim Burton really needs to retire from film-making - NOW. He's obviously totally tapped-out his pathetically limited supply of ideas and has apparently resigned himself to desperately scraping the very bottom of the barrel (right down to the wood) for a living now, as evidenced by this utterly worthless and disgusting bomb.Do yourself a HUGE favor and just avoid this fecal nugget like the plague. I sincerely wish I had...
Tim Burton does it again!!
posted on 25 Aug 2009Sweeney Todd has become another classic of Tim Burton's! Despite the blood and darkness that devours London, Tim Burton always has a way of turning movies into beautiful, magical and hilarious creations! If you enjoy how his movies, tap deep within your imagination then this movie is definitely worth watching! Every single character is absolutely amazing! Johnny Depp is simply wonderful and very sexy although his obsession with his razors keeps him astray of seeing the big picture. Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen add so much light and humor to the story its almost hard not to laugh! Alan Rickman and Timothy Spall define the meaning of evil and every time you see them you cringe with anger! The musical aspect of the movie is wonderful, the songs are so beautiful and haunting they leave you singing right out of the movie theater! If you ever bump into Sweeney Todd, I would advise you to replace his razors with butter knives and whatever you do, Don't eat the meat pies!
Rules for watching "Sweeney Todd"
posted on 25 Aug 20091) Whenever a throat is cut, yell "HOORAY THE SPRAY! HOORAY!" 2) Whenever Ms. Lovett says, "Mr. T.", chorus, "I PITY THE FOOL!" 3) There is a wedding scene--bring rice.4) Whenever a throat ISN'T cut, show your disappointment.5) Reference to meat pies? "Mmmm, meat pies! I'd like some meat pies, would you like some meat pies?" Have good meat pie conversations with your neighbors (esp. if they haven't seen the film before). This can be especially fun during the song "A Little Priest".6) Try to memorize the lyrics and sing along, but even without having seen it before, EVERYONE should chorus to, "I'll steal you, Joanna!" 7) Have fun and make up responses as you go along.8) YES, it IS just as good/bad as Rocky Horror Picture Show, so let's get some activity going! --PolarisDiB
The Votes Are in, And the Pod People have Accepted Sweeny Todd as Actual Entertainment
posted on 23 Aug 2009I just got back from this musical. I was able to stifle my vomit (Danny Elfman) long enough to actually watch it and digest it. From the first time I watched the trailer and heard Johnny Depp "sing" "I will have vennnnnngeance..." I wasn't sure I would enjoy Burton's latest offering. But as I sat in the theater and the movie started up, I decided that I would give it a fair shot. Open mind. New experience. Why not? After the credits ended and the movie began earnestly, that fair shot was shattered, swept up, and thrown into a reservoir. (Danny Elfman) The first thing I understood was that it wouldn't matter if Depp could sing: the actual lyrics are frankly awful. (Danny Elfman) I don't know. I didn't spend my youth in the bottom of a school stairwell writing dark poetry during lunch hours so maybe I'm not the type to appreciate stuff like...Holy Hell I can't even provide you with an example. My mind has shut out the experience completely. (Danny Elfman) I feel shell shocked.So imagine my surprise when, after arriving home, I decided to take a look at IMDb to laugh along with the hundreds of awful reviews that must certainly have already poured in. But nada. Nothing. ... It's even in the IMDb Top Movies list. I will reiterate. Sweeney Todd is in IMDb's Top Movies list. This is like The Twilight Zone's wet dream of The Twilight Zone. I feel like how Vic Morrow must have felt after being murdered by a helicopter. (Danny Elfman) And then, the greatest horror: this message board, wherein dwells a cult called "Bleeders" (are you serious? ARE YOU SERIOUS?). This must be a sickness.Actually. Technically, I'm the sick one. (Danny Elfman) Since I just wasted several minutes of my life typing this out, which is either going to be a) uniformly ignored, or b) torn asunder by the ferocious natives who are quite clearly insane. This I know to be fact.And I assure you, even though I certainly come off as a bit antagonistic, I'm not here to mess with you in the sense that I just like to get a rise out of people. I am seriously at a loss to explain what I'm seeing here. I clicked one thread and read about someone who wants to see this movie more than once and I just don't know what to make of that. (Danny Elfman) They even talk about wanting to buy the soundtrack because they hate their ears I guess. (Danny Elfman) To be fair, (and you may have already deduced), I am not a fan of violet musicals. (Danny Elfman) But WEST SIDE STORY, a movie I didn't enjoy that much, is now in my personal Top Movies list. I look that movie over in my memory and it has suddenly become a lot better. I appreciate it more. That's the one thing Sweeney Todd did for me. It made me like another musical, which is a testament to its awfulness. (Danny Elfman) Also, I loved the hell out of Burton's vision. The movie LOOKS great, as Burton movies are wont to do. Too bad the singing (Danny Elfman) had to ruin it But, you see, I'm a Terry Gilliam fan and I found hardly any enjoyment in his Time Bandits movie and people find this to be quite remarkable.Also if you know silent films, you would know that if you removed the title cards most of the time, certainly with features, the stories would have been much harder to follow. (Danny Elfman).
This is a strong recommendation.
posted on 23 Aug 2009Wow!!What I think is most amazing about this movie is that it successfully uses all sorts of great contemporary artistic minds to produce one fine product. You have a commercial celebrity directed by an off-beat, visual genius, singing one of the greatest scores off all times. I love how the fluffy pop-culture types will be exposed to Stephen Sondheim and I love how the stuffy snobs will notice how fantastic Johnny Depp is. I think that's why Tim Burton made such a fine director: he was the most appropriate bridge between these two worlds as he himself straddles both the avant-garde and commercial worlds. Accessibility.Before starting on my review, I believe one needs to have an open mind and appreciation for (or better yet understanding of) musical theatre, melodrama, and old film noir/horror films and actors. This movie does not cater to the brutish. I don't mean this to sound elitist but the level of art going on here (visual, acting, music) is significant and requires participation by the audience. If you're passive you won't enjoy it.I won't bore with a synopsis as everyone knows it already so I'll focus on a few points:I will say that Depp makes the Sondheim anti-hero his own and provides a stellar, introverted interpretation that really delves into the emotional complexity of the character. His performance helps to articulate the kind of severe tragedy this "penny dreadful" is all about. He is truly a chameleon. A pillar to which all commercial, Hollywood actors should rise: a STRONG character actor who takes risk and has broad appeal.The other performers were great if not all obvious casting choices. Remember, this is a film interpretation of the stage musical not a filmed version of the musical. The fact that Sondheim blessed every decision of this put all of my worries to ease.The opening credit sequence underscored by "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" was excellent even if it was overly digitized. I thought this framed the film well and provided an appropriate prologue. You knew exactly what the film was about before the first words were uttered. It also shows how cinematic Sondheim's music can be. Many people believe that Sondheim's music is "married" to his lyrics and that they can't be separated. While I believe the former, this proves the later false and amazingly so!!!I thought that Burton did an excellent job in directing the film. He is truly one of the finest American directors. He made this play his own. This wasn't arbitrary. I love BURTON!!I thought screenwriter John Logan did an AMAZING job in condensing the source material. Even with the song cuts (as above), he allows the functions of these songs to be expressed in other ways so the story and motivation is clear.I was so surprised and impressed by this movie. I was initially hesitant given the cast and Depp's pop voice but this movie was absolutely phenomenal! This film accomplished a lot and proved to be an excellent collaboration of great artistic minds specifically Burton, Sondheim, Depp and Logan.Honestly, please see this film. It will thrill you!
Bloody magnificent!
posted on 21 Aug 2009Director Tim Burton's latest, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," an adaptation of the hit 1979 Broadway musical by Stephen Sondheim, ranks as yet another imaginative working from the man behind the camera of "Beetlejuice" (1988), the first two "Batman" movies, "Edward Scissorhands" (1990), and "Sleepy Hollow" (1999). "Sweeney Todd" has many marvelous sights and sounds, and a production design that's Burton's best and most imaginative since "Batman" (1989). In Britain in the 19th century, the story concerns Benjamin Parker a.k.a. Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp, perfectly pale-faced), a barber who was once convicted on trumped-up charges and sent to prison and tortured for 15 years by the hard-nosed Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) and has now returned to avenge himself. He later involves his lowly neighbor, the baker Mrs. Lovett (Mrs. Tim Burton Helena Bonham Carter, equally pale-faced), in his bloody scheme to exact vengeance. Of course, she is no angel herself, since she is something of a loon. And later on the in the story, is in fact revealed to be something of a cannibal, serving the cooked corpses of Britain's lowliest to unsuspecting customers as a way of disposing of Todd's victims. A young boy named Toby (Ed Sanders) also takes up residence with Todd and Mrs. Lovett, and becomes an unwitting accomplice in their bloody scheme. It's safe to say that even with the plentiful musical numbers and weirdo acting styles, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" doesn't mess around. Blood flows copiously in over half a dozen graphic throat-cuttings that are surely going to put a drain on Hollywood's blood-pellet supply. Although I'm not really that big a fan of his work, leading this sure-fire cast of course is Johnny Depp, a brilliantly skilled performer who does indeed project his voice nicely and thoroughly for the audience, even though his performance does contain shades of ye old Cpt. Jack Sparrow. We've never quite seen Depp like this, as a would-be Psycho-type slasher whose thirst for revenge extends far beyond his target, and into the brutal aristocratic society that keeps working-class people like him and Mrs. Lovett in almost constant poverty. This is Burton's second most marvelous-looking film to date. His production design invokes a strong sense of the time and brings back memories of his earlier "Batman" movies. I could say that "Sweeney Todd" is better-looking than those films, but I'd be lying to myself; I'd never be able to top my love of Burton's "Batman." But then, "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" wouldn't be so bloody magnificent, now would it?10/10
Tim Burton Does it Again
posted on 21 Aug 2009Tim Burton, the famous director of such hit movies as The Nightmare Before Christmas and Ed Wood, has once again shown his demonic directing expertise in the expertly crafted film, Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Was the movie flawless? No. But it was one of the best movies I'd seen that was released in 2007.Johnny Depp plays the criminally insane, falsely accused Benjamin Barker, who was once a well respected barber of Fleet Street. Returning home after a fifteen year imprisonment, he discovers that his wife has gone, and his daughter (who only saw her true father when she was but a baby) has been adopted by the very man who falsely accused and imprisoned Barker: Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman). Swearing that he will get his revenge, Depp teams up with Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), the long forgotten meat pie chef, changes his name to Sweeny Todd, re-starts his barber shop, and gets ready to give people the "Closest shave of their lives." Seeing as this film was a musical, I believe that the first item that should be on our agenda is the musical aspect of the film. Right when the movie started, I could tell that it was a Tim Burton film – the opening song was so dark, and, in a sense, attractively strange, it fit the role of a song in one of Burton's film's perfectly – like a glove, one may say. Once the credits ended, it broke into the very first song of the film, in which Depp starts singing in almost immediately. I have to say, his first song left me a little worried about the rest of his singing in the film – but throughout the movie, his singing actually improved. While Depp did most of the singing, alongside Carter, hearing Rickman and Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) sing was quite a pleasure. What I have noticed in most musical films is that the main actors will mouth the words they are "singing," and someone will sing for them. One of the things I loved about Sweeny was that everyone sang for themselves, and that is a main reason to see the film. You'll actually be able to hear Depp, Rickman, and many others sing in their own voices, and the audacity of this fact should be able to drag anyone into the theater. They may not be the most talented singers in the world, but their singing voices fit in perfectly with their characters.The only problems that I saw with the film, besides it being a little slow at the start, were the continuity errors – there were just a couple, but at least one was blaringly obvious, if you are paying close enough attention.And so, I hereby give my first ten-star rating to this excellent piece of work, and say just one more thing: if you want to see an excellent movie with high-rating actors, buckets of blood, and fantastic music – or, you just want to see a movie because you are bored – see this movie, and I guarantee that you will be pleased in the end.
Not quite even a near miss...
posted on 21 Aug 2009I just finished watching Sweeney Todd with Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. This is my all-time favorite Broadway show, and I had high expectations. I had seen the show on Broadway twice: once from the orchestra pit where my friend was playing in the 2nds, and once from 3rd row center.Sadly, Tim Burton has really missed the target with his version. He made a fundamental mistake: with Stephen Sondheim's music, a director needs singers first and actors second. Sondheim is a powerful composer: he has a better sense of rhythm, of rhyme, and of words than any other composer out there; indeed, any musician needs to bring his "A" game to a Sondheim piece. I've played piano in 2 Sondheim musicals: "Company," and "A Little Night Music." Both were some of the toughest music I've ever played. In "Company," there is a song called "Being Alive" where the pianist is playing either 10 or 11 note chords at the song's climax, and the music is a fast moderato, and the chords are played as eighth notes. (I've always harbored the suspicion that Sondheim hates pianists.) Because of this fundamental lack, Johnny Depp - for all his acting talent - cannot bring the character to life. And therein is the single biggest shortcoming of the film: the audience is supposed to sympathize with Todd; we want him to succeed, even though that means murder. We realize that there is a no-win situation for Todd, but we care for his pain, and even though the outcome is inevitable, we agree to travel along with him to that outcome. We sympathize with the wronged man, and want to see the revenge take place. I never felt that with Depp.And that's because it requires people that are completely comfortable with, and people that are completely confident of, their voices. Combine that with a tough score to begin with, and you will start to see where the limitations of Burton's new film will start to show themselves: Depp and Carter could not bring the emotion of Sondheim's score to the screen, and consequently, the movie falls flat, leaving you with little more than a horror film set to music. Nowhere will you see Todd's descent into madness as he realizes that his dream of revenge is taken away; nowhere do you see Mrs. Lovett's conniving and convincing. All you see are a brooding man and woman who seems to want him. When Todd snaps ("Epiphany") you do not feel his pain, and during what is the show's funniest number, (A Little Priest") Burton completely drops the ball, cutting many lines from the piece, and staging it in a very unfunny way: many of the laughs are lost amongst the singer's vocal limitations. Sad, that, because when I saw it on Broadway, the actor's had to project to the last row, yet still get the nuances in and had the audience rolling. If they could do that in a live theatre, they could certainly get that on the big screen. Burton actually misses the boat twice: once in "A Little Priest," and once in "More Hot Pies," which opens the second act, and is barely in this piece at all. One thing he did that I consider unforgivable is that he removed the vocal trill from the character of Johanna's piece "Green Finch and Linnet Bird." Hearing a soprano that's simply capable of singing one is wondrous; hearing one do it in performance is heavenly. Here it doesn't happen at all. Imagine my letdown when that part of the song passed, and no trill...And that brings up another point with this particular musical- the singers are required to be strong singers. It's no wonder that the only two actors that were ever really able to bring the character of Todd to life were Len Cariou and George Hearn: both have a cavernous set of pipes, and the ability to sing the half-steps and chromaticisms this piece requires. A sad thought is that the only singer that had the vocal strength the part requires in the entire movie was the actor that played Toby- a 12 or 13 year old boy who is obviously a trained singer, and can bring that strength needed to make his big number ("Not While I'm Around") the most worthwhile of the movie. Hell, using Sasha Baron Cohen as Pirelli the Barber is a sin: the part calls for an Irish tenor...Lastly was the look of the film itself: simply desaturating the color 40 per cent or so does not a dark movie make; indeed, on Broadway, there was no desaturation at all, and they achieved a darker feel than the movie had. Additionally, there was the Broadway equivalent of a Greek Chorus in the play- They sang the Prologue and Epilogue. Sadly, they are not in the movie at all.Unfortunately, I have been awaiting this movie for many years. I had hoped that a quirky director like Burton might be able to bring the pathos, the empathy, and the underlying despair of the show to the screen. Alas, this did not happen. Perhaps that is the limitations of a director trying to direct his first musical. Fortunately, I still have the VHS tape of George Hearn and Angela Lansbury doing this show live in Los Angeles. That means I will still get to see it the way it should be done. If you can find a copy of that performance, see that first: you will at least then know how the show is supposed to play.
I wanted so much to love this film. I didn't!!!
posted on 19 Aug 2009I have been anticipating the opening of "Sweeney Todd" for the last several weeks. Being a true fan of Sondheim and of "Sweeney Todd", I was excited to see Tim Burton's version. I knew it would be visually stunning and it was. Each frame a visual feast. I was quite disappointed, however in the lack of passion and strength in the performances. Johnny Depp's portrayal of "Sweeney Todd" lacked the drive and lust that the character requires. This lack of passion and vocal talent was evident throughout. This was most evident when Sweeney is reunited with his razors. That moment should raise the hairs on the back of the neck of anyone watching. Johnny Depp just couldn't take us there. Helena's Mrs. Lovett lacked the crazy, fun, lighthearted feel of the original Angela Landsbury performance. Often times she missed important moments in which humor could break the monotonous dark overtones. I believe Meryl Streep would have been a better choice. The kid playing Toby had a great singing voice and did his best, but in my opinion was too young for the part. I just didn't believe "Nothin's gonna harm you". Now for the blood. It was too much and too often. We got the hint after the first kill, must we be beaten in the head with it over and over again. It was not necessary and detracted greatly. On a high note the characters of Anthony, Johanna and Beedle were played to perfection. Well-cast and well acted. I can see how people who were not previously familiar with "Sweeney Todd" could give it high marks. But for those of us who have seen stage productions of this fantastic musical, and sat glued to our seats at the beautiful and haunting melodies, the deep rich voices, the passion and the polish, we can't be anything but a bit disappointed.
Mr. Burton, I bow to you.
posted on 19 Aug 2009I first saw "Sweeney Todd" about five years ago when I rented the Angela Lansbury Broadway movie, after that I was hooked on Sweeney. So naturally when I found out that Tim Burton would be at the helm of a film version of the beloved musical I was ex tactic, now my favorite director would be directing my favorite musical. Then I found out about the cast. My favorite actors would be in the title roles. It seemed so perfect, then I remembered, this was a musical. Could they pull off the daunting signing ranges that Sondhiem so brilliantly penned? Yes, yes they could.I saw the midnight showing and when the film started I was left completely breathless. The cinematic scope of the film was awesome in every sense of the term. Depp and Bonham Carter were a perfect match for their roles. Regardless of the fact that many people have been commenting on Carter's wispy voice and how it isn't "Lovettish" I beg to disagree. The character of Mrs. Lovett (like any other character in the history of theater and film) can be interpreted in any way. Most people were comparing Carter's interpretation of Mrs. Lovett with that of Angela Lansbury's; they are completely different people! This time Lovett is an Innocent soul, and not in the pure sense. She is innocent due to lack of education and of illiteracy, she wants so much to be a motherly figure and a lover that she is this naive woman, until of course the subject of business and monetary funds come into play.You cannot go into this film and automatically compare it to the stage version. It is a film, plain and simple. Burton puts his signature on the film while it still remains the Sondheim classic that we know. Sondhiem wrote Sweeney's music not as enhancing songs to strengthen the plot (like most musicals do) but he wrote it to tell the plot. It is the closest thing you can get before you cross the line into the land of Opera. And the wonderful thing about this film adaptation is that Burton kept that sense about him, the music was telling the story. So everything added up with the song at hand, making the movie flow like it was an elaborate two hour waltz. The beat of the movements, the turn of the camera and the angles that it captured, the speech of the actors and the voices that came out of everyone of them was amazing. This film is amazing. So Mr. Burton, my heartfelt thanks to you. Finally I have a favorite movie.
The best musical ever!
posted on 17 Aug 2009Too many songs? yes! and I hoped Sacha Baron would have a larger role (his big break will have to wait)...however it's hard overlook the quality of the movie.This is an extremely good and well executed revenge story, with great singing and acting...(read more)g by Depp (truly Oscar worthy). The supporting cast was also really good. Though the songs were too many, some were good & essential to express what was going on in the characters' mind and the overall story. Burton was truly in his element with this dark themed drama, and used a terrific score to add to the movie's quality. He is a true artist, never failing to provide stunning imagery to add to the movie's mood.Overall this is one of the finest movies of 2007. Despite having 95% singing the film is quite engaging; leading us through the darkness towards the unpredictable finale.
Awesome, dark and funny. Classic Tim Burton stuff.
posted on 31 Aug 2009Good dark fun.I knew nothing of this movie except Tim Burton and Johnny Depp had something to do with it, and that, as the executive director put it, there was "lots of blood". I don't think of myself as liking musicals, although I should probably reconsider now.I had a moment of dread when the movie started and there was a mention of Sacha Baron Cohen being in it. However his performance was in fact quite good. While his acting has a few things in common with his over-the-top Borat character, it somehow fits rather well within the movie.Some elements of the plot are rather predictable, in a Greek tragedy sort of way, but it doesn't really detract from the movie. We get to enjoy the downward spiral even though we know its shape.All in all, the movie was awesome, filled with damned and hopeless characters that still made you laugh at every turn.