I love Tim Burton. This is well known. I also love Johnny Depp. This is also known. Put them together and I am content
for a week. Let me put it bluntly: this movie is amazing. Fantastic. Brilliant. Excellent. Delicious. Superb. If it
had been given to anyone else to direct it would not have been half as good. This film is experty helmed and produced. Tim
Burton is a master artist, and this film is no exception.
The film
is very nearly pitch-perfect. In fact, I would even say it is. Barring a few minor problems it is sublime. Who knew a film
about a man who kills people and then has them baked into meat pies which are sold to the public would be any good? The musical
itself is good. But it is nothing compared to the film. I suppose it is Mr. Burton's style which allows it to be so good;
he is a fan of the grim and macabre, and what better way to showcase his bizarre vision than in this film? It is plenty bloody,
yes, and while it's pretty nasty to see the blood spurting and oozing, it looks completely fake (which I am sure is done on
purpose) and it looks like tomato juice and red paint, so it balances the oozing and gushing. Besides, I don't think blood
spurts that far across a room when your throat is slit. But I could be wrong. There's a cruel sense of menace that pervades
the film, as you would expect, and much creepiness. The thought of razors slitting someone's throat makes me quite uneasy;
cutting myself shaving is bad enough. And the thought of placing yourself in someone else's hands to get a shave the old
fashioned way is a little unnerving. One little slip.....I admire the men who did this; I would get too creeped out. Luckliy
we women are blessed with an absence of facial hair and this is not for us to worry about.
This
is a dark film, both literaly and figuratively. There's very little color here, and it only appears in flashbacks and dream
scenes. Well, there's color throughout the whole film, but it's in greys and blacks and blues and browns. And of course
red. It takes a little getting used to, but it adds to the atmosphere and the tone of the film, not to mention it gives everything
a derelict and grimy feel. This London is dirty and suffering and 'times is hard', so the dark lighting is a good idea (it
reminded me of 'Sleepy Hollow', also filmed in similar colors and tone). Most things are covered in shadow, including the
actors, particularly Mr. Depp. It gives him and his character a sinister air, at least in the beginning before we really
get to know him. There are some shots where you only see half of his face and the whites of his eyes, and it's just brilliant.
Lauds to the filmmakers. Costuming too adds to the grimy and desperate feel of the times. And it's true Burton, especially
in Mrs. Lovett's dream scene (the stripey clothes are vintage Goth).
The
music is, of course, brilliant and highly entertaining. The score is one of the most complicated musical scores I have heard.
Perhaps not as grand or emotional as Andew Lloyd Webber's works, but more complicated and the cast does well with the difficult
stuff. Some of the songs are simply too good. My personal favorite is 'A Little Priest' which is delightfully morbid and
sinister. And yes, Johnny Depp can sing. He might not be as groundbreaking or breathtaking as you might expect, but he is
very good. Helena Bonham Carter is also very good, but she needs to be a little louder. Alan Rickman can also sing (who
knew?) and he probably has the best voice. As good as Johnny Depp is, he sounds a lot like he's channeling Jack Sparrow here,
so at first I couldn't get this thought out of my mind. But Jack would never cook his enemies in pies and then feed them
to people. The boy who plays Toby is not that great, but he's not bad either. And as for Sacha Baron Cohen, I would really
like to know if that was really him hitting those high notes. Good Lord. The songs themselves are, as I mentioned, complicated
(at least with regards to rhythym and notes) but everyone does well. Prince called this film an outcry against capitalism,
no doubt basing this idea on the idea of upper classes screwing lower classes and the lower classes seeking revenge (here
by eating the upper classes). I disagree; I don't think there's anything really 'deep' about this film; of course, the idea
by the end is that revenge is a double-edged sword: it might be great for a while, and maybe it ends well, but it might not
always and mind you you don't lose your head when seeking revenge or it might just backfire on you (I hope I didn't give away
the ending). Back to my first thought: the only song I didn't really like was the 'Friends' song where Sweeney is singing
to his razors. The music is lovely, but the lyrics are a little weird and not as well written as the other songs. However
Mr. Depp performs beautifully here. There is pure bliss on his face as he holds the razors; he looks like he's living only
for them, totally wrapped up in his thoughts. At one point there's a look of malicious glee in his eyes and it seems so real.
The best song (not scene; see below) is "A Little Priest'. It's delightfully macabre and wonderfully grim, and in a weird,
twisted way, very funny. And tons of fun. It doesn't make much sense, really, that it's actually fun, but there you go.
And as for the acting, it is perfect in every way (barring Toby). Everyone is
perfectly cast (barring Toby). And I can't imagine anyone else in any of these roles (although I think I would make a wicked
Mrs. Lovett myself, and yes, I can sing, and very well, and no, I am not being egotistical). Poor Alan Rickman and Timothy
Spall are bad guys yet again, but they are excellent bad guys. Mr. Rickman is purely evil and brilliant and Mr. Spall is
perfect as a slimy little weasel of a man. There is one shot of Judge Turpin leaning over the judge's bench where the camer
angle makes him look like a giant vulture. Not kidding. And it's wonderful. Mr. Cohen is hysterical and wonderful as Adolfo
Pirelli. One of the funniest roles ever. And Ms. Carter is at her best as Mrs. Lovett, giving a tone of both innocence and
cunning to her role. Then there's the kid who plays Toby, he seems so dull and dead I wonder where they found him. It's
not that he overacts; he just doesn't really act. He's more deadpan than the rest of the cast, and no one really shows any
emotion. He pretty much has the same expression on his face the entire time. He also looks better as a blonde than as a
brunette. And finally, Johnny Depp, who couldn't have been more perfect for this role. He is both evil and coniving and
desperate and just at the same time. He's not purely evil, at least he doesn't start out that way. He's just depressed,
and angry, and confused. As I mentioned before, Mr. Depp can really sing, and he plays the part so well. He doesn't show
much emotion here, mostly anger. But it's funny. He's dark and brooding and moody, but you kind of feel sorry for Mr. Todd.
After all, he got screwed by Turpin. So who's the real bad guy here: Todd or Turpin? The murderer, or the man who made him
one? Mr. Depp's role is also, can you believe it, very funny. During his epiphany scene where he hallucinates he's ecstatic
and excited in his discovery of a way to deal with his problem of revenge. But by the end is a limp rag and is staring off
into space and Mrs. Lovett has to haul him down the stairs to her shop because he can't do it on his own ('the great useless
thing'). The dream scene is the best, though. He has the same expression on his face the entire time. Just priceless.
It's interesting that Mr. Burton didn't want the cast to show any emotion in the film; but it's not as if they are dead or
dull. They aren't. They even keep anger down to a minimum; it's more of an overtone and more felt rather than seen. In
a couple scenes Mr. Depp almost lets his anger out, but he holds back enough to make Mr. Todd seem really very scary. You're
almost afraid of him getting angry. He almost becomes demonic (that Bride of Frakenstein wig doesn't help).
The only real complaint I had was that it was hard to tell if the dream sequence
was really a dream or if they had a picnic in the park and then the dream began. Or was it a dream from the start? See,
there's more color in this scene, so it's hard to tell where the transition from reality to dream is. I also would have liked
to see more emotion from the cast, but it's still good. Antony kind of creeps me out, though.
This
film is my new obsession. It is a delicious little piece. Quite delightful, in all it's grim and gory glory. I highly recommend
this. Yes, it's very violent, but the only real violence here is one beating and a bunch of throat slittings. Nothing else.
I can't imagine anyone else doing this film other than Mr. Burton. I can almost guarantee that you will be singing songs
from this movie for the next week. And you'll love Johnny Depp even more.
Best moment: 'Twas Pirelli's Miracle
Elixir.....true, sir, true.
Worst moment: There isn't one.
Best quote: 'What is this? Smells like piss.
Looks like this.' 'Looks like this, smells like...EWW.' Or how about the entire song? Too funny.
Why you should
see it: It's vintage Burton, in his element. And have I told you how good it is? And that the acting is amazing? And that
it is way too much fun? etc. etc. And Johnny Depp?
Why you shouldn't: Because some people are weird and don't
like musicals or Tim Burton. And it's a bit odd, yes, but in a good way. And there's a lot, a lot of blood. And the whole
idea of people meat pies will no doubt turn a few of you off.
