Directed by:
Tim BurtonScreenplay:
John LoganCinematography:
Dariusz WolskiCast:
Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jamie Campbell Bower, Laura Michelle Kelly, Jayne Wisener, Ed Sanders (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
Johnny Depp stars in the title role as a man unjustly sent to prison who vows revenge, not only for that cruel punishment, but for the devastating consequences of what happened to his wife and daughter. When he returns to reopen his barber shop, Sweeney Todd becomes the Demon Barber of Fleet Street who "shaved the heads of gentlemen who never thereafter were heard from again." Joining Depp is Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney's amorous accomplice, who creates diabolical meat pies. The cast also includes Alan Rickman, who portrays the evil Judge Turpin, who sends Sweeney to prison and Timothy Spall as the Judge's wicked associate Beadle Bamford and Sacha Baron Cohen is a rival barber, the flamboyant Signor Adolfo Pirelli. (Paramount Pictures)
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Reviews (15)
One star is for the artistic execution, which shines the most at the very beginning in the opening credits and then plays a smaller and smaller role. It is necessary to realize that this is too little for Burton, who is capable of much more and can provide a much more intense experience than in this film. The second star is for the central acting duo, where surprisingly Helena Bonham Carter takes the lead as the cynical and pragmatic Mrs. Lovett. The problem is that this time, the traditional Burton-style game is subordinate to the director's effort to be part of both the musical and dark thriller genres, while Burton is traditionally stronger in the comedic and poetic aspects. As a musical, Sweeney Todd completely failed in my eyes, and in terms of music, it is a completely forgettable affair that only deserves 2 stars. There is not a single melody or text that would bring me joy. In terms of drama, this film didn't evoke any strong emotions in me. Neither sorrow nor fear. It just doesn't work. A completely small film with the same theme, which has a completely average rating on FilmBooster, specifically The Tale of Sweeney Todd, made a greater impression on me despite its modest production design. Overall impression: 45%.
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Cruel and sadistic, which is why it will appeal to the era of today. It's just that sometimes I don't fit into the era of today, so I guess that's why I wasn't as impressed with Sweeney as I thought I’d be. And I was looking forward to it so much. I was expecting something different, which is fine, my ideas are always "romantic". I guess what disappointed me the most was that the story was so readable, his actions so predictable. Such a pity. But even my favorite actors and their performances didn't can’t make me give more stars... Sometimes love is cruel, but why prove it with a razor and forget it?
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Johnny Depp is not a flawless singer, the almost incessant barrage of songs is a bit of a shame, and the eternal depression may be a bit too desired, but still a weight has been lifted off my chest. Tim Burton took on a huge challenge that could have gotten the better of him many times – only to navigate it with great bravura. And that's despite working with very unambiguous characters like a vengeful barber or a wicked judge. The master of charming oddities has decided to discard issues of accessibility and lets blood splatter, razors fly, and characters die in slums. And the increasingly tragic taste of it leaves feelings so enjoyable and stirring that I would push Tim towards another art immediately. Because handling it with the heart like this is something only a few can do.
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Burton's aesthetic of dark sets and faded camera filters got old a long time ago. The promise of live water in the form of musical numbers, however, only adds to the overall withering in the end. Burton is absolutely inept when it comes to the singing performances, lacking any choreography or at least a hint thereof, meaning that both Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter try very unsuccessfully, even though they are otherwise really excellent. For two hours I felt a kind of unspoken reverence for the original (even Burton's right-hand man Danny Elfman is nowhere to be found), but to be honest, even Kevin Smith did better in Jersey Girl.
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I think the result would have been just as impressive without the overly explicit violence (it doesn't sit well with Burton), but otherwise I'm satisfied. Burton rocks again, with lots of his typical cynicism (here bordering on the absurd) and his unmistakable visual style, things I never get tired of. And while the music is lacking any significant melodic motif to hum along to after the film, it was a fine listen. Just like Depp's singing, which proves that you don’t need to master the range of octaves and intonation flawlessly if you have the "gift to impress" and a pleasant colour of voice, and Johnny fulfils this without fail. But the star here is someone else, the wonderful Bonham-Carter, whose cynically pragmatic Mrs Lovett was delectable.
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