Sweeny Todd

Talk about dark. After running through a list of Tim Burton films in my head, it is no exaggeration that Sweeny Todd is his darkest masterpiece yet. True, almost all Tim Burton movies contain dark material; heck, even Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has its wicked moments, but this newest collaboration with Johnny Depp is a mind-blowing gruesome spectacle. Yet, Sweeny Todd didn’t grab me completely. Something was off.

It wasn’t the acting. Johnny Depp is deliciously cast as the title character. His sorrow for his wife plays just as perfectly as his diabolical vengeance. Whether he is singing to his blades or dancing with Helena Bonham Carter, Depp commands our attention in every scene. I even enjoyed his singing voice. Bonham Carter is equally fiendish as the scheming Mrs. Lovett. Her character compliments Todd well as they hatch their evil plans. I always enjoy seeing Alan Rickman on the screen and he definitely does not disappoint. There is not much humour found in his role, but he is still fun to watch. Just as entertaining is Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) as the scamming barber, Pirelli. Even the smaller roles are nicely cast. Ed Sanders, who plays Toby, Pirelli’s Artful Dodger, has a beautiful voice. My only complaint in the casting department was Timothy Spall as Beadle, probably because he looks and acts so much like his Wormtail character from Harry Potter.

It wasn’t the style. The art direction for Sweeny Todd is amazing. The London streets are darkly menacing, the clothing is prim and proper, the faces are drained of colour. It reminded of Sleepy Hollow, especially in the colour scheme. Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter’s deathly white faces seemed like a cross between Edward Scissorhands and Christopher Walken’s demonic horseman from Sleepy Hollow. The shops, both barber and meat pie, are wonderfully made and have a character all their own. An early zip through the alleys of London make it very clear that Tim Burton was the right man for the job when it came to adapting this dark musical.

It wasn’t the story. Of course, when you describe the plot to people unfamiliar with the musical, they look at you with unmasked disgust on their face. A vengeful barber slits the throats of patrons and then dumps them to a baker who grinds them up into meat pies. Yum. Let’s get this straight, Sweeny Todd is not a film for children. It’s rated R for a reason. Even my desensitized self had to look away for a couple scenes and whisper, “gross.” However, the rest of the scenes where blood is gushing out of the jugulars of Todd’s clients are strangely and morbidly beautiful. This is not Saw-style gore; the thick, fake blood against the array of white clothing create stunningly sharp contrasts despite it’s gruesomeness.

What was off for me when it came to Sweeny Todd were the songs. I’m not talking about the singing, I’m talking about the music and lyrics. I’m a big fan of musicals. I enjoy the rat-a-tat of a quick verse or the harmony found in two people singing different lyrics. While I have no problem with heartfelt solos, I definitely enjoy the larger musical numbers that mix story with clever humour. Sweeny Todd only has a couple of songs that made me smile with their fun lyrics. Mrs. Lovett’s “The Worst Pies in London” is a fun introduction, “Pirelli’s Miracle Elixir” is quick laugh and the Todd-Lovett pie-ingredient song “A Little Priest” is cleverly hysterical, but I wasn’t humming these songs to myself while walking back to my car after the show. I just don’t find these songs all that memorable. Granted, Stephen Sondheim doesn’t adhere to the regular song styles of musicals like Hairspray or Chicago, but while his West Side Story music is difficult, a lot of people seem to know the lyrics to “I Feel Pretty.” I just wish I could have gotten more into the songs of Sweeny Todd being a musical and all.

So should you see this movie? Well, if you’re a Johnny Depp or Tim Burton fan, you will enjoy their latest collaboration. If you enjoy the musical Sweeny Todd, you will not be disappointed by this adaptation. If you go to the film expecting something like Hairspray, you’ll be in for a gruesome shock. I’m a Depp-Burton fan, so I enjoyed it. I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Upcoming movie reviews: Juno, Walk Hard