Sweeney Todd

I just saw it and I was so impacted by this film I think it deserves it's own thread. Maybe I am just experiencing that good movie afterglow, but something about it touched me deeply.

To quote a review by Robert W. Butler of The Kansas City Star: it is "Grotesque and Gorgeous". And that describes it perfectly for me.
I think it is one of Tim Burton's best films to date. Ok, before I start raving, I will share that the final scene bothered me. A bit too literal and melodramatic for me-but I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the film on so many levels. I will try to break it down while it is still fresh in my mind.

What blew my mind completely:
1. The set and costume design and cinematography...just stunning visual after stunning visual against the gun-metal blue/sepia backgrounds. The artistic eye for details in this film is Burton all the way. Similar to the dark, sepia grey tones you see in Corpse Bride, but now with real actors and sets. I felt like I just arrived in mid-19th century London. I eagerly tried to absorb all the glorious details that made it come alive.

2. How unexpectedly moving it is: The emotion that Johnny, Helena, Alan Rickman, Jamie Campbell Bower, and Ed Sanders (Tobias) was just so heartbreakingly beautiful and intense that you feel the emotions equally while they are singing or speaking. Depp's intensity is breathtaking. I just can't say enough about his performance. Just riveting.

3. The singing: I know those of you that have seen classically trained singers/actors perform this on stage may have a different take than I do, but I really enjoyed Depp's singing. He has a very good voice that reminds me in some ways of David Bowie- who I dearly love. His british accent was near perfection and the more he sang the more I enjoyed it. The duets he did with Rickman and Bonham Carter were especially memorible IMO. I thought Helena also did a very nice job singing and I was so enamoured with her performance that I looked forward to her singing again like I did Depp. Now, I am not a huge opera type singing fan so their less structured and less rich singing style suited me fine.

4. The gore: I have never seen more realistic slitting of throats in a movie. Of that I can be certain!

5. The black comedy: Bonham Carter and Depp's chemistry is just priceless. There were quite a few scenes where the audience laughed.
6. Sondheims score: Magnificent and without it would have taken away the humanity of the story.

That is all I can think and say now, but oh what a satisfying film it is. And I will be purchasing the soundtrack as soon as I can!

4 star film all the way! Even if you only slightly love Depp, Burton, and Bonham Carter, you must see this film before the oscars. We will have to have and oscar party here for sure.

Thanks, Luca!

Your review makes me want to go see it ASAP!
I am thinking Monday afternoon...no work, MLK day.

Quote :

! Even if you only slightly love Depp, Burton, and Bonham Carter, you must see this film before the oscars.

OOOOH I big Love all of them. I am so glad you got to see it! My son has now seen this movie 4 times. It is without a doubt one of the best films of the year!

I'm so glad you loved the film and were so moved that you gave the film it's own thread! I bet it even helps you with some storytelling I bet the soundtrack is wonderful! But me? Between the ending and all the realistic gore - not my thing. I really can't sit through all that killing. It's why I don't watch the CSI shows anymore. I love Depp and I would love for him to win an Oscar for ANY role (but I think DDL will win this year for sure) and I have loved several of Burton's project and I think he is a really interesting and unique person and I would also like to see him be properly recognized by his peers for his work. Still, I couldn't watch all that realistic killing. I saw the stage play and it was fantastic and amazing based on the music, story and performances. It didn't need all the extremely realistic gore to be wonderful. I know that is not popular in today's film world, to get the story across without the extreme gore. I am no doubt in a minority in today's world of just not needing to see that sort of thing. So I will either never see this film or rent it and watch it in my bedroom holding a pillow over my face I really did want to see it until my son described it to me and I saw how much the film bothered him. The fact that it disturbed him took away any real desire to see it, even though I know Depp is just amazing (but then really - when isn't he?) and I am sure the music is lovely. I wish I could be someone who isn't so bothered by all the gore, but the older I get the more it bothers me.

I would love for there to be an Oscar party here! I just wonder if there will be "An Oscar Show" to party along with? Tuesday the nominations are announced! I read where some critics think Atonement might not get nominated even though it won the Globe for Best Drama. Has anyone here seen that movie? What do you think of it if you did?

Anyway, I am so happy for you Luca that you had such a moving experience seeing the film and that you had a wonderful time with a good friend! Wish we could go see a movie togther! Something like Juno though! I want to see that one. It looks really enjoyable and my son loved it!

Here is a cute little soundbite from Helena (who I find weirdly adorabe!)

Quote :

Helena Bonham Carter loved getting paid by her boyfriend to lust after Johnny Depp in the trio's new movie.



The British actress - who stars as Mrs. Lovett in 'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street' directed by her long-term love Tim Burton - had no qualms about falling in love with Tim's best friend, who plays the murderous barber, on screen.

When asked if she found it awkward lusting after Johnny in front of Tim, she told BANG Showbiz: "Weirdly not, maybe it should have been, but you know I was pretending. It is odd, I was being paid by my boyfriend to fall in love with his best friend. It was a strange situation."

Helena - who gave birth to her second child with Tim last month - also revealed she tried extra hard in her audition because she didn't want to feel like she only got the part because she slept with the director.

She added: "I would safely say it made it much harder for me to get the part because the director was my boyfriend. He told me you look right for it, and potentially you are perfect for the role, but we have no idea if you can sing. I said well I will go away and try to learn, but I had to be righter than right. For my sake, I didn't want to feel like I got the part just because I slept with him. But at the end of the day Stephen Sondheim, who wrote the original musical, had the final say and I definitely didn't sleep with him!"

I think anyone that loves great music and acting should see this film.
Frazz, I really believe you will enjoy it and can't wait for you to see it and get your thoughts on it.

FC, if you can watch and enjoy ER and CSI I definitely think you could handle this. I think you would recoil the first few times, but after a while
you know what to expect and the shock factor wears off a bit. At least it got easier for me because I was so fascinated by the overall film and in love with the performances. I have seen trauma scenes on ER that are so realistic I had to turn away. This is ultrarealistic at times, but also is like old Vincent Price or Dracula movies in the way the gore is believable, but somehow not. The blood is vibrant red against the sepia background which I think makes it stand out more. The throat slitting scenes are very melodramatic and over the top, so yes the blood spurts out and is gory, but the scenes are short, you know they are coming, and somehow it works with the film the way only Tim Burton can pull off.

I would love to hear more from anyone who has seen the film if they thought the gore did not work with the film or if it was too much for them and extremely upsetting.

FC, I did'nt know Helena was still with Tim and they have two children together!!!!!! Boy, he sure scored with her!!!!

Yeah, I couldn't believe Helena was with Tim when I first found out about it. But she is very quirky in RL and I think that is what they have in common.

Trust me, I have a hard time with ER I gave up the CSIs (though I adore Gorgeous Gil) I watch Super Natural and LOVE it, but a couple of episodes this season made me gag, like heads popping off and someone getting an electric saw through the chest

I guess if I rent it and know when it is coming I can just hold the pillow over my face until I know it is over

Dang, I would up working today, so still no Sweeney Todd.

I am dying to hear what you think of it! Hope you get to go soon!