Rating of
4/4
Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd
patjohnson76 - wrote on 12/29/07
Adapting Stephen Sondheim's challenging and muscial masterpiece Sweeney Todd for the big screen would be a difficult task for anyone. How do you get people to come and watch a movie version of a musical about a demented barber that goes on a killing spree for revenge? Fortunately, getting Tim Burton to direct was the first good idea, and getting Johnny Depp to portray Todd was the second. Burton creates the darkness of London with ease, and Depp portrays Todd's thirst for revenge masterfully.
Helena Bonham Carter portrays Mrs. Lovett, the baker who turns the bodies into meat pies, all right. I saw stage great Patti LuPone a couple years ago with a better interpretation. Carter is all right, but I wanted Mrs. Lovett to be a little more calculating and less needy. Alan Rickman provides a strong turn as the villainous Judge Turpin, which is easily one of his best performances to date.
A lot of the songs here have been turned to dialogue (the stage version is mostly sung). Most of it is okay, but for those looking to hear the actors sing The Ballad of Sweeney Todd, you'll be disappointed as it's not here, only as instrumental music for the opening titles and then throughout the film. However, there are strong performances of Johanna, My Friends, and A Little Priest. In order to really enjoy this film, it's important you know what you're going to see, but it is easily one of the year's best.
