Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is one of the year's most talked about films, it's getting big Oscar buzz and of course, what could be better than Tim Burton taking on this dark musical? With Johnny Depp starring along with beautiful Helena Bonham Carter by his side, this movie just screams terrific. My mom and I saw the movie today and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street lived beyond to my expectations. Tim Burton hasn't exactly released a classic lately that would be remembered for all time, but Sweeny Todd is sure to make it's way into one of the most memorable films of 2007. Johnny Depp and Helena both have incredible voices, they were so hauntingly beautiful and magical together, it's like these roles were made for them. Along with an equally strong cast as Alan Rickman and Sacha Baron Cohen who were also incredible, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a new memorable musical for years to come.

Sweeney Todd has come to London on a mission, a mission for revenge! His wife was taken by the evil judge for his own pleasure's with her and Sweeney's daughter. Now Sweeney's daughter is grown and is being held by Judge Turpin and he has been informed by his lover, Mrs. Lovett that his wife has died. "At last my arm is complete!" Sweeney says as he raises his faithful razor and wishes to kill the vermin of the world as well. Mrs. Lovett comes up with the clever idea to create a tasty meat pie of the victims and makes quite the popular business. But Sweeney is determined to find his daughter who is being wooed by his young friend, Anthony, and kill the judge who has taken everything from him.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street was so beautifully shot. The reason why I love Tim Burton so much is because he knows how colors and contrasts work in a film. He knew how dark Mrs. Lovetts and Sweeney Todd are, in a picnic scene where everything is supposed to be bright, Sweeney and Lovetts are the only dark figures in the lovely setting. The music is triumphant, the songs were so memorable and almost hypnotic, I felt like was in a real Broadway audience. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is one of the best films of the year, I guarantee it, this was a terrific musical that was a bloody good time! Tim Burton is back and he's better than ever with Johnny.

10/10

Sweeney Todd is an old story that is not based on a real 19th century murderer--despite some recent rumors that this legend is true. Though the original story has changed a bit over the years, the basic elements remain. A man is wrongly convicted and returns years later to exact revenge--slicing the throats of the wicked (and sometimes innocent) and then having the bodies disposed of in meat pies sold to the unsuspecting public!

The movie is based on the Sondheim musical. Over the years, there have been other non-musical versions of the fabled story of Sweeney Todd, but Stephen Sondheim has truly popularized this grisly tale of revenge and madness. However, if you are used to the Rogers and Hammerstein or Lerner and Loewe style of musicals, be prepared for a wildly different sort of musical. This isn't just because of the very, very dark subject matter but also the style of singing. Unlike these other famous musical teams, SWEENEY TODD does not offer songs that you will quickly find yourself humming or will hear on an elevator. That's because this production isn't a traditional musical with catchy lyrics, but where the dialog is sung to music--somewhat like the wonderful UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (wow, aside from this, you can't find two films more unalike). And since the emphasis is on dialog that is sung, the style may take a lot of getting used to. Plus, you probably WON'T find yourself tapping your feet and humming to the amazingly fast-paced and somewhat maniacal music. About the only really traditional style song is the lovely "Joanna".

This style singing does take some getting used to, though this film adaptation of the musical is much more approachable to the casual viewer. That's because in the play, many of the songs are sung in a crazy and cacophonous manner--with many singers across the stage singing DIFFERENT parts that generally DON'T harmonize well with each other. This strange and sometimes painful style was done to emphasize Sweeney's madness and I understood the symbolism--I just didn't particularly like it and I was thrilled that these twisted chorusers were absent from the film. Instead, the music was sung by either individuals or in duets (which were ALSO often sung very separately but with much less cacophony than an entire chorus). My daughter, quite the purist and lover of theater told me she missed this aspect of the film--she WANTED the insane chorus. As for me and the average audience member, I am sure this change by Tim Burton is a welcome one. The bottom line is that the stage style was just too annoying and headache-evoking.

While I am talking about the songs, I must point out that despite originally feeling very skeptical about casting Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter in the leads (after all, they're NOT known for their singing ability),they and the rest of the cast did quite well. I am sure that the modern ability to make practically ANYONE a singing sensation (such as Hillary Duff or Ashlee Simpson) was employed, but it did work. Now this isn't to say that they or the rest of the cast have gorgeous and melodious voices--they don't. But, for this style of film, it worked perfectly. Had they been cast in a remake of THE SOUND OF MUSIC or some other more traditional musical, it probably wouldn't have worked. Oddly, despite their being more than competent in the roles, I have heard some snipes about them and I can assure you they DID do well and were well cast.

Now as for the rest of the film, I must STRONGLY urge caution, as this is one of the most violent films I have ever seen. Sure, some films show many more deaths but the closeup shots of throats being slit and profuse torrents of blood is NOT for the squeamish nor is the sight of seeing the corpses splat onto the floor below as they are dropped through the trap door. I noticed several in the theater covering their eyes during the murder scenes--including my daughter. It's not for the faint-hearted and really is up close and brutal in how it depicts the killings. It worked--the murders looked very vivid and real--perhaps too real. With a little more left to the imagination with the killings, I really think the film might have worked a tad better for the average viewer. I have a very high tolerance for this stuff (probably partly due to my being a human biology minor in college),but most will cringe at all the carnage.

Now as for the aesthetics of the film. As you probably would expect, director Burton did his usual marvelous job. The dankness and awfulness of a Dickensian England is vivid and convincing. The plethora of roaches and rats also heightened this awful realism as did the terrible dental work of the actors. Unlike many films set in this era that featured actors with lovely capped teeth, the actors here abounded with crooked teeth! What I particularly liked about the film and what really jumped out at me was the cinematography--how almost everything was done in sepia and gray tones. There were a few exceptions but these were wonderful and were designed as the occasional and shocking contrast (such as the blueness of Pirelli's clothes or the intensity of the blood). Additionally, the fantasy sequence was extremely colorful and this made it one of the most striking and funny scenes in the film--quite appropriate to the mood.

So overall, apart from the intensity of the violence, this was a great film and a nice improvement over the Sondheim stage production due to its wickedly dark humor and style.

For starters I like Tim Burton. He has been hit and miss this decade(Planet of the Apes being his worst),but when he is good(Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Ed Wood, Vincent, Beetle Juice and Big Fish) he is good. While not my personal favourite of his films, Sweeney Todd was very well done. Is it as good as the Broadway musical? No, the Broadway musical is a true masterpiece so this movie had a lot to live up to. And is it as good as the 80s stage version with George Hearn and Angela Lansbury? Personally, again I think not. These aside, Burton's take is one of his better works not only this decade but in his career.

Sweeney Todd is a very unique film and very deftly realised. Few musicals have tackled such a dark theme or have boasted such a distinctive look, but this works extremely well. Burton directs wonderfully, and the script is deliciously macabre. The production design won an Oscar, and deservedly so, as it is astounding with all the palette of blacks and greys that contrast perfectly with Sweeney's cut-throat razor. Likewise with the music, Stephen Sondheim's songs and score are simply magnificent though I was disappointed at the omission of Sweeney's ballad which is superlative. The story is just as macabre as the script with a suitably grotesque and over-the-top last act and the murders are very, very bloody.

Last but not least the acting. What can I say? Nothing wrong as far as I can see. Johnny Depp is a wonderful and charismatic presence, and Helen Bonham Carter matches him perfectly as Mrs Lovett. Neither are trained vocalists, but they get into their songs with gusto and also tackle cockney accents and do an above-average job there too. Plus Alan Rickman's(who I love) Judge Terpin is the epitome of evil. All in all, an atmospheric and deliciously dark film and one of Burton's best. 9/10 Bethany Cox