Movie: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Director: Tim Burton
Stars: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen
Genre: Horror, Musical
Rated: R
Synopsis: Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) was a man who had it all--a beautiful and loving wife, a newborn baby girl, and a successful barber shop--until he was sentence to life in prison by a corrupt judge who lusted after his wife. Fifteen years later, he escaped from prison and has come back home to find his wife dead and his daughter in the care of the judge who sent him away to rot. With the help of Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), the woman who now owns the pie store downstairs from his barber shop, he is determined to kill the judge who ruined him and anyone else who stands in his way.
Commentary: This is my favorite movie ever. I don't usually like horror movies but when they have a good plot I tend to overlook the blood and gore especially when they're done tastefully like Sweeney Todd.
Like Les Misérables, the singing isn't that great but what they lack in singing they make up for in passion and acting abilities. And with a cast like this movie you know it has to be good (and Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen were in both Sweeney Todd and Les Misérables).
And the songs, written by Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim, are wonderful! (Although I recommend Patti LuPone's version to the movie's and Angela Lansbury's versions.)
Should you see it? If you are a fan of musicals or want a beautiful thriller then yes! Tim Burton's team of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter tends to work and it definitely does here. But, don't let the musical part fool you, it is still a horror story about an insane barber slashing people's throats and his baker assistant baking them into pies and serving them to the unsuspecting people of London.
Fun Facts:
- The tale of Sweeney Todd has been alive since 1846 and has even been performed as a ballet in the 1950s. There's even an old 1936 film. Historians dispute whether it's based on a true story.
- Sweeney Todd is the third movie Helena and Johnny have done together with director Tim Burton.
Nice recommendation. I'm always looking for a nice thriller with a nice plot and just from just looking at the synopsis you can't expect this movie to be dull.
ReplyDeleteIf you have ever seen Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. A Musical Thriller (1979), the acclaimed musical adaptation by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler starring Len Cariou as Sweeney Todd and Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett you will be greatly disappointed with Burton's adaptation of this most wonderful musical. I have the their HBO performance on an old VHS tape and strongly suggest that if you like this film you find that HBO performance and give it a watch. If you have see the production then I think you will be very disappointed with this film, Burton cut some song down and some out completely. I was very disappointed with this film.
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