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Sweeney Todd
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A- |
Unlike Miles, I tend to avoid musicals at all cost, as the
majority of them are quite lame. There are exceptions to every
rule though. Mary Poppins comes to mind, and pretty much any
Tim Burton movie. But much like Miles, I thought Sweeney Todd
was fantastic. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m
the only one to say that Johnny Depp is becoming a bit overused,
as he’s been in the last three Tim Burton movies. Flavor
of the month is really what it comes down to. Regardless, he
played the part well and was definitely the right choice.
This movie surprised me on multiple levels. Not only was there
plenty of blood and gore, but the stark realism of it was shocking
(sans the violent squirting). The lighting set the mood perfectly
in every scene, the acting was entertaining yet believable,
and the ending was brilliantly executed. One of my biggest gripes
with most movies is the addition of vestigial romances that
dominate and overshadow the main story. I started to lose interest
in the beginning when the cheesy Johanna song began, but to
my surprise it didn’t take over. It was important and
meaningful, but the audience was not beat over the head with
it. I must say, Sweeny Todd exceeded my expectations and then
some, and for that I would have to agree that it was the best
movie of 2007. If there’s anyone that can make a musical
one of my favorite movies of the year, it’s Tim Burton.
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A- |
Unlike most of my colleagues, I appreciate a good musical.
Examples include Chicago, The Producers & of course, Mary
Poppins. I was unaware of just how much singing was to take
place in Sweeney Todd but I didn’t care. This might be
dangerous to say but take director Tim Burton and throw him
in a room with actors Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham-Carter &
Alan Rickman and you will always produce something wonderful
if not dark and disturbing. One of my favorite things about
this movie, besides its lack of hesitation to display bloody
and macabre scenes, is the setting of the dark and dirty streets
of London. (Same goes for Paris: see Perfume)
Costumes were perfect as was the lighting and coloring of the
film. One character that surprised me was Signor Adolfo Pirelli,
the Italian barber played by Sasha Baron Cohen. I had expected
an over-the-top accent and wacky character, which was delivered
at first. But his demeanor changed when alone with Depp. A serious
and potentially dramatic possibility resonated as he spoke.
Look for Cohen to appear as a more serious actor in the near
future. In summary, this was one of my favorite movies of the
year and the only reason there is a minus sign attached to the
grade is because of the amount of singing. I didn’t say
I love musicals, I just said I can appreciate them.
Side Note: Writer John Logan also wrote for The Aviator and
Gladiator. Composer Stephen Sondheim only agreed to be involved
if he maintained casting approval.
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