Tim Burton's signature one of a kind storytelling, bizarre characters, and unique visual style are instantly recognizable in his newest film, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Being a musical, this is certainly a departure for him, but this will surely end up being one of his most beloved films. If you're a fan of big Broadway musicals and Tim Burton then this movie is for you.
Sweeney Todd is the story of an innocent barber. A corrupt judge covets his beautiful wife and child and so convicts the barber of a crime he didn't commit and exiles him from London. In the beginning of the film, the title character makes his way back to London a changed man hell bent on revenge. He opens up shop above a woman named Mrs. Lovett, a creepy meat pie shop owner. In Todd's quest to exact revenge on the corrupt judge - and the entire city of London in the process - he and Mrs. Lovett concoct a scheme to use his victims as the main ingredient in her pies. Soon, Todd's barber shop takes off and so do the meat pies. Things then progress towards a blood-soaked climax.
The story is told primarily through the music (there's not all that much dialogue). The music is all taken from the original stage show (although some songs were cut and others altered to accommodate the 2 hour running time). The songs are good and very traditionally Broadway. The cast performs the musical numbers very capably. Johnny Depp makes a great Sweeney Todd and Helena Bonham Carter does very well as Mrs. Lovett. They're both great actors and both do a really good job tackling the singing as well. The standout is a young actor named Ed Sanders as the shop boy Toby who holds his own with the more veteran actors and manages to out-sing them in the process. Sascha Baron Cohen should also be mentioned for his well-played comedic role as a rival barber.
One thing that should be said about this film is that once the blood begins to flow (and spurt and spray), there's just no stopping it. While the bleeding doesn't necessarily look real (think Kill Bill) it makes the film feel all the more gruesome which adds an important element to the story. This could have been easily lost with a less "in your face" brand of blood letting. The bloodiness is intensified by the overall color of the movie - a dreary and washed out London. This makes the red pop against the bleak background. This style is definitely Tim Burton's own. He's an expert in all things dark and gloomy and this movie is further evidence of that fact.
The pacing of the film was one of its' only flaws. The first act and much of the second act flowed nicely but the real problems came during the third. Part of what made the beginning of the movie work so well is that it took it's time. This wasn't so towards the end. The film began to move faster in the third act which no doubt was intended, but there seemed to be a push to finish the movie under time. Most of this was due to the editing - scenes were shorter than they needed to be and the movie began to feel forced.
Sweeney Todd is the story of an innocent barber. A corrupt judge covets his beautiful wife and child and so convicts the barber of a crime he didn't commit and exiles him from London. In the beginning of the film, the title character makes his way back to London a changed man hell bent on revenge. He opens up shop above a woman named Mrs. Lovett, a creepy meat pie shop owner. In Todd's quest to exact revenge on the corrupt judge - and the entire city of London in the process - he and Mrs. Lovett concoct a scheme to use his victims as the main ingredient in her pies. Soon, Todd's barber shop takes off and so do the meat pies. Things then progress towards a blood-soaked climax.
The story is told primarily through the music (there's not all that much dialogue). The music is all taken from the original stage show (although some songs were cut and others altered to accommodate the 2 hour running time). The songs are good and very traditionally Broadway. The cast performs the musical numbers very capably. Johnny Depp makes a great Sweeney Todd and Helena Bonham Carter does very well as Mrs. Lovett. They're both great actors and both do a really good job tackling the singing as well. The standout is a young actor named Ed Sanders as the shop boy Toby who holds his own with the more veteran actors and manages to out-sing them in the process. Sascha Baron Cohen should also be mentioned for his well-played comedic role as a rival barber.
One thing that should be said about this film is that once the blood begins to flow (and spurt and spray), there's just no stopping it. While the bleeding doesn't necessarily look real (think Kill Bill) it makes the film feel all the more gruesome which adds an important element to the story. This could have been easily lost with a less "in your face" brand of blood letting. The bloodiness is intensified by the overall color of the movie - a dreary and washed out London. This makes the red pop against the bleak background. This style is definitely Tim Burton's own. He's an expert in all things dark and gloomy and this movie is further evidence of that fact.
The pacing of the film was one of its' only flaws. The first act and much of the second act flowed nicely but the real problems came during the third. Part of what made the beginning of the movie work so well is that it took it's time. This wasn't so towards the end. The film began to move faster in the third act which no doubt was intended, but there seemed to be a push to finish the movie under time. Most of this was due to the editing - scenes were shorter than they needed to be and the movie began to feel forced.
