Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

"Very Good"

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Review


Quite possibly the strangest holiday release since Miramax rolled out its bloodsucking Dracula update in December 2000, Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street reproduces Stephen Sondheim's moody musical as a theatrically macabre vengeance play that gleefully soaks its numbers in gallons of gooey, red stage blood. It's a mesmerizing mess of a film that alternates its high notes with blatant missteps. Yet for all its unmistakable faults, it casts such a complete spell that I'm chomping at the bit to see it again (and again).

Where other studios might have demanded proven singers for the parts, Paramount (bravely?) permits Burton to practice extreme nepotism. The director recruits his better half, Johnny Depp, for the title role of a wrongfully jailed barber who seeks vengeance against a covetous judge (Alan Rickman) and his troll-like lackey (Timothy Spall). As for the role of Mrs. Lovett, it goes to Burton's wife, Helena Bonham Carter. A meat-pie maker, Lovett helps dispose of Sweeney's human victims by turning them into delectable delicacies.

Sweeney devotees hoping for a pitch-perfect rendition of their cherished stage show may be disappointed. After a strong opening that details the barber's return to London, Burton's musical falters -- coincidentally, the dropoff occurs when Carter warbles her way through "The Worst Pies in London" and the slightly sped-up "Poor Thing." In all honesty, neither Depp nor Carter possesses a stage-quality voice. Instead, both muster emotional performances that sell the parts without selling the music. Co-stars Jamie Campbell Bower and Jayne Wisener, respectively cast as Sweeney's protégé and daughter, are much stronger singers. The entire cast is aided by the swell of Sondheim's full-bodied score.

It's evident, however, that Sweeney is Burton's first stab at a musical. His staging can be as graceful as the bodies landing head first on Lovett's bakeshop floor. Sweeney lacks stage definition. If you are unfamiliar with Sondheim's Broadway show, you will not grasp where the main acts divide. The identity of a key character is crystal clear the more that person lingers in the background. The outcome to Sweeney's competition with rival barber Pirelli (Sacha Baron Cohen) is well telegraphed. And Depp's decision to internalize his character's hatred makes the second act difficult to swallow.

Yet the age-old Sweeney myth plays to Burton's storytelling strengths and fits comfortably with his usual gothic, visual palette. London's drab, cobblestone streets (digitally created with impressive green-screen technology) are a fine contrast to the rivers of blood that flow from Sweeney's barber shop. Burton ups the carnage as he trims the music -- solos are shortened and choruses are removed to bring Sweeney in near the two-hour mark. And while the barber's bloodlust is a tough sell that even Depp struggles to convey, Burton finds imaginative ways to colorize his demonic tale. His upbeat treatment of Lovett's fanciful song "By the Sea" might be the film's only respite from Sweeney's gloomy mission. When it arrives, drink in the whimsy. It won't last for long.

Carter strangles her voice coach.



Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Facts and Figures

Run time: 116 mins

In Theaters: Friday 21st December 2007

Box Office USA: $52.8M

Box Office Worldwide: $152M

Budget: $50M

Distributed by: DreamWorks/Paramount Studios

Production compaines: DreamWorks, Warner Bros. Pictures, DreamWorks SKG

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 3.5 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Fresh: 189 Rotten: 32

IMDB: 7.5 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director:

Producer: , , Walter F. Parkes

Starring: as Sweeney Todd, as Mrs. Lovett, as Judge Turpin, as Beadle, as Pirelli, as Anthony Hope, as Johanna Barker, as Toby Ragg, as Lucy Barker

Contactmusic


Links


New Movies

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Review

After the thunderous reception for J.J. Abrams' Episode VII: The Force Awakens two years ago,...

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Daddy's Home 2 Movie Review

Like the 2015 original, this comedy plays merrily with cliches to tell a silly story...

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

The Man Who Invented Christmas Movie Review

There's a somewhat contrived jauntiness to this blending of fact and fiction that may leave...

Ferdinand Movie Review

Ferdinand Movie Review

This animated comedy adventure is based on the beloved children's book, which was published in...

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Brigsby Bear Movie Review

Director Dave McCary makes a superb feature debut with this offbeat black comedy, which explores...

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

Battle of the Sexes Movie Review

A dramatisation of the real-life clash between tennis icons Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs,...

Shot Caller Movie Review

Shot Caller Movie Review

There isn't much subtlety to this prison thriller, but it's edgy enough to hold the...

Advertisement
The Disaster Artist Movie Review

The Disaster Artist Movie Review

A hilariously outrageous story based on real events, this film recounts the making of the...

Stronger Movie Review

Stronger Movie Review

Based on a true story about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, this looks like one...

Only the Brave Movie Review

Only the Brave Movie Review

Based on a genuinely moving true story, this film undercuts the realism by pushing its...

Wonder Movie Review

Wonder Movie Review

This film may be based on RJ Palacio's fictional bestseller, but it approaches its story...

Happy End  Movie Review

Happy End Movie Review

Austrian auteur Michael Haneke isn't known for his light touch, but rather for hard-hitting, award-winning...

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Patti Cake$ Movie Review

Seemingly from out of nowhere, this film generates perhaps the biggest smile of any movie...

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

The Limehouse Golem Movie Review

A Victorian thriller with rather heavy echoes of Jack the Ripper, this film struggles to...

Advertisement
Artists
Actors
    Filmmakers
      Artists
      Bands
        Musicians
          Artists
          Celebrities
             
              Artists
              Interviews