Sweeney Todd

Wow. Just Wow. I was so anxious about seeing this film that it was imperative that I went by myself. The merging of Sondheim and Burton was a risky one“ and I wasn'™t sure that I would be pleased with the results. While I love both Sondheim and Burton in entirely different ways, I was extremely concerned that this film would be over saturation for me, mixing two very important parts of my life (kind of like when you introduce your parents to your significant other for the first time). I knew in advance that I would be overly critical of Burton's adaptation of Sondheim's score and any and all changes made.

So before you are all questioning what I think,“ here it is--“ I loved this film. I really, really loved it. It has taken me a long time to write a review because I've had quite a bit of sentiment, history and emotion to process.

I'll start with Depp as Sweeney. He was good. He was very good. But that was to be expected. Depp has become the new DeNiro or Pacino. Always giving astounding performances that are fun to watch if not over the top. Depp'™s Sweeney was all about revenge. I had no compassion for his character, which worked for me perfectly well (I felt similarly about Cerveris in the recent Broadway production). Depp is beautiful and creepy to look at. Though I did think his characterization was very internalized -- not that it was a bad thing at all -- his Sweeney was brutal and seething and angry. But I have seen this done before. And his singing was very good. I don'™t understand these critics who say that his voice was weak.

For me, the most beautiful moments in the film were watching Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett. Her voice, namely her lack of formal vocal training, worked in such a powerful and Brechtian way. Her voice was reminiscent of Sally in Nightmare Before Christmas -- passionate and heartfelt focusing more on the character than hitting the notes of Sondheim's difficult score. Her facial expressions, and her ability to make Mrs. Lovett sexy without trying or vamping around onstage (like Patti Lupone) was so perfect. She was scary and sexy and for the first time I empathized with Mrs. Lovett and her unrequited love.

Sydney says:
I way over hyped this in my head so I was only slightly disappointed. Sarah and I agreed that the humor was a wee bit sucked out of the Sondheim songs. That is the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars. It's a bloody good movie.