Morgan Bell
Kynaston
REVIEW: Sweeney Todd
June 21st 2008 14:09
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street puts the flavour of revenge in Mrs lovetts pies . . . a tale of blood lust, mistaken identity, corruption, and some terrible singing
Directed: Tim Burton (Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, Big Fish, Sleepy Hollow, Edward Scissorhands, Beetle Juice)
Written: John Logan (The Aviator, The Last Samuri) - screenplay adapted from the original play, musical and book
** the 1979 Hugh Wheeler book and musical adaptation was based on the 1973 play by Christopher Bond
Music: Stephen Soundheim (composer of the original music and lyrics from the musical)
Starring: Johnny Depp (Sleepy Hollow, From Hell, Edward Scissorhands), Helena Bonham Carter (Hamlet, Frankenstein, Merlin, Fight Club, Big Fish), Alan Rickman (Sense & Sensibility, Robin Hood: Prince Of Theives, Truly Madly Deeply), Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat, Ali G), Jamie Bower, Edward Sanders
Strangely i didnt enjoy this film as much as i thought i was going to . . . i am a huge fan of musical theatre, a huge fan of Burton, Depp, Bonham Carter, and Rickman . . . i love period film, i particularly love films set in London in exactly this time period . . . and above all i love films with a stylised gothic atmosphere which Burton creates so masterfully . . . so what went wrong?
Well as much as i feel like a philistine for saying this: there is too much singing in this musical! haha
And its not cool modern singing or dynamic complimentary musical interludes (like the oompa loompas in Burton's Charlie & The Chocolate Factory), it is this weird attempt to compress all the songs of a 3 hour musical into a 2 hour film . . . i had anticipated some clever writing to replace or shorten some of the songs by paraphrasing the plot points and characterisations that are revealed but instead everyone is just singing FASTER!? and without heart or expression . . . and sadly by people that arent even fantastic singers!
Depp pulls it off as Todd with an above average voice but Bonham Carter carves up the role of Mrs Lovett with her unsuitably shallow and speedy singing style and puts it in one of her stinky pies . . . Rickman is not a great singer, Sacha Baron Cohen has a great performance apart from the singing, the little boy (Sanders) murders more songs than Sweeney Todd slits throats . . . it is a beautiful cast with stunning costumes and art direction but i think i would rather look at the movie stills than actually watch it, or listen to it, maybe i could watch it with the sound muted?
TRIVIA: Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton began their relationship in 2001 while filming the remake of Planet Of The Apes, she has appeared in all of his films since and the couple now have two children together . . . how many children Burton has with Depp is unknown
Directed: Tim Burton (Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, Big Fish, Sleepy Hollow, Edward Scissorhands, Beetle Juice)
Written: John Logan (The Aviator, The Last Samuri) - screenplay adapted from the original play, musical and book
** the 1979 Hugh Wheeler book and musical adaptation was based on the 1973 play by Christopher Bond
Music: Stephen Soundheim (composer of the original music and lyrics from the musical)
Starring: Johnny Depp (Sleepy Hollow, From Hell, Edward Scissorhands), Helena Bonham Carter (Hamlet, Frankenstein, Merlin, Fight Club, Big Fish), Alan Rickman (Sense & Sensibility, Robin Hood: Prince Of Theives, Truly Madly Deeply), Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat, Ali G), Jamie Bower, Edward Sanders
Strangely i didnt enjoy this film as much as i thought i was going to . . . i am a huge fan of musical theatre, a huge fan of Burton, Depp, Bonham Carter, and Rickman . . . i love period film, i particularly love films set in London in exactly this time period . . . and above all i love films with a stylised gothic atmosphere which Burton creates so masterfully . . . so what went wrong?
Well as much as i feel like a philistine for saying this: there is too much singing in this musical! haha
And its not cool modern singing or dynamic complimentary musical interludes (like the oompa loompas in Burton's Charlie & The Chocolate Factory), it is this weird attempt to compress all the songs of a 3 hour musical into a 2 hour film . . . i had anticipated some clever writing to replace or shorten some of the songs by paraphrasing the plot points and characterisations that are revealed but instead everyone is just singing FASTER!? and without heart or expression . . . and sadly by people that arent even fantastic singers!
Depp pulls it off as Todd with an above average voice but Bonham Carter carves up the role of Mrs Lovett with her unsuitably shallow and speedy singing style and puts it in one of her stinky pies . . . Rickman is not a great singer, Sacha Baron Cohen has a great performance apart from the singing, the little boy (Sanders) murders more songs than Sweeney Todd slits throats . . . it is a beautiful cast with stunning costumes and art direction but i think i would rather look at the movie stills than actually watch it, or listen to it, maybe i could watch it with the sound muted?
TRIVIA: Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton began their relationship in 2001 while filming the remake of Planet Of The Apes, she has appeared in all of his films since and the couple now have two children together . . . how many children Burton has with Depp is unknown
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