MOVIE: Sweeney Todd

(this movie was part of a date I went on, so I'm posting this entry first to get it 'out of the way')

I had never seen, read or known anything about "Sweeney Todd" before seeing Tim Burton's rendition of it, starring his love child Johnny Depp. The movie began with me wondering if it would be one of those "out of beat" musicals where whatever words needed to be said to get the story across were said, regardless of them not being to any specific beat or rhyme. I hate that (creative license aside, it seems like laziness and/or creative assumption that people will ACCEPT that this was the actual intention of a real composer/author).

I persevered and watched intently as the story of the Barber was laid out. By the end of this (very gory) movie, I was actually quite happy with it. Johnny Burton-Depp is certainly no aspiring singer, but played the part very well, along side his landlady-cohort-would-be-lover (played by, I finally know, Helena Bonham Carter). She, in my opinion via her co-starring role, made the movie. My first thought was "oh, so this is a cast member of the Addams Family that was stolen for this movie" but in truth, I thought she stole the show in many ways.

Be warned. It really is gory! My friend Vesta was constantly hiding her eyes when it was apparent Sweeney was going to "mete out his vengeance yet again". The bloody scenes were filmed with an "amusing afterthought" motif (basically "oh, by the way, he's killing this man as he sings merrily along").

I was truly amazed at how well the story came across. :-)

Please note that all references to Tim Burton's love child Johnny Depp are strictly tongue-in-cheek. I have no proof that Tim Burton actually loves Johnny, or that he is Johnny's father...