OH MY!
Spoiler warning (just to be safe).....
What a black hearted musical. Surely SWEENEY TODD is the darkest piece of musical theater, ever. Certainly it's the darkest that I've ever seen. For those of you who enjoy your gore, this is a movie for you. For those of you who enjoy Johnny Depp (and who doesn't), this is a movie for you. For those of you who are Sondheim fans, this is a movie for you. And most of all, for those of you who love Tim Burton, this is THE movie for you.
There are a few short stretches that drag. They happen when Depp and Bonham Carter are not on screen. I was spellbound by Johnny Depp, even more than I usually am. Sasha Baron Cohen has a juicy part that's right up his alley, including his costume with bulges in appropriate places.
The look of the film is fantastic, contradictorily lush yet sublimely dark and dreary. It evokes the nastiest, bleakest, most foul aspects of 19th century London. While no one in the film has the voice of a true singer, they all sing well enough, and Depp, in particular, does a fine job. Keep in mind this is a musical first and foremost. Frequently everyone bursts into song, which can be disconcerting. But Burton handles it well. Sondheim's cynical, dense, intelligent lyrics are given their due, and with his unique musical pacing, Songheim's songs come at you fast and furious.
I grimaced and gagged in more than a few places. I suspect I may have nightmares about the ending.
I am not a big Tim Burton fan, but I liked SWEENEY TODD. He and Depp have created another grim, macabre masterpiece.
Reading is freedom.
The mind soars, no earthly cares,
no limitations.
A Maggers Haiku, 2005
Years ago my mother used to say to me... "In this world, Elwood, you can be oh so smart or oh so pleasant."
Well, for years I was smart.
I recommend pleasant.
You may quote me.
Elwood P. Dowd