Sweeney Todd:
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Rated: R
Runtime: 2 hours, 5 minutes
Directed by: Tim Burton

Starring:
Johnny Depp - Sweeney Todd
Helena Bonham Carter - Mrs. Lovett
Alan Rickman - Judge Turpin
Timothy Spall - Beadle Bamford
Sacha Baron Cohen - Signor Adolfo Pirelli
Jamie Campbell Bower - Anthony Hope
Jayne Wisener - Johanna
Ed Sanders - Toby

Musicals have been making a comeback and they've tended to succeed. No matter what the content, whether it be the quest for fame in Chicago, the race-relations of Hairspray, or the music-biz retrospective of Dreamgirls (and yes, I'm aware I'm horribly simplifying all of these stories), they all strike a chord with audiences and really, who doesn't love a catchy, sing-songy tune when they want to be entertained. And look! Here comes Tim Burton and Johnny Depp! They also made a musical recently with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! That film was just delightful! And now they're doing another one? I'm sure it will be a grand old time at the movies. Out of curiosity, what's it about?

Oh. Dear. God.

For those that aren't expecting Sweeney Todd, here's the gist: it's about a barber (Depp) who kills people and has them turned into meat pies. It ain't exactly Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (although they do have hilariously similar opening credits).

I probably don't need to tell you much about Tim Burton and Johnny Depp seeing as this is their sixth collaboration. But what I do need to tell you is that this is Burton's darkest and goriest film to date. I'm not usually bothered by blood but the amount that flows through this film had me surprisingly nauseous by the final credits. While Burton lets the blood spew and his dollhouse-aesthetic suit the macabre proceedings, he usually doesn't know how to bring Sondheim's songs to life. This failing is at its worst when the completely uninteresting Anthony (Jamie Campbell Bower) and Johanna (Jayne Wisener) sing their pretty little love songs but it can also be damn perfect as seen in Mrs. Lovett's (Helena Bonham Carter) "By the Sea,"

And it's the love story between Lovett and Todd that makes the film magical. Depp is fine but Carter gives one of her best performances to date. As Mrs. Lovett she's funny, pathetic, loving, devious, and utterly demented. She's far more frightening than Todd because while Todd is basically a full-blown demon beyond redemption, we always see her humanity and for her to be of our species is incredibly disconcerting.

If you're a fan of the stage production, you'll find Burton's film severely lacking as he's removed any elements of the chorus so the themes of class-warfare are significantly diminished. But if you're looking at it as a part of Burton's filmography, you'll see it as one of his best movies. How you want your haircut is up to you, but other than a few nicks and scratches, I say Sweeney Todd is a bloody fantastic.

Words by
Matt Goldberg
12.16.07

Rating: 9.2 out of 10