I saw the movie yesterday late afternoon.
Here are my thoughts...
Having been in the play for an extended run, I have an affection for the original score, etc. so there were some things missing for me. But I understood that this is a film adaptation and so to keep things moving along (in this day and age of minimal attention) things were trimmed. There were many musical/lyric moments cut that I noticed but someone who hasn't seen the show before wouldn't miss it. If anything, if the movie makes a fan of the show, they will delight in listening to the stage versions and discover the additional lyrics.
I thought that the art direction was fantastic. It was so rich and detailed and just plain wonderful. It was the perfect vision of this play on the movie screen. Again, knowing this musical as well as I do it was very satisfying to see scene after scene being treated with absolute perfection. I also sensed that the production team had a fondness for the original as there were several classic moments visually for instance the end of “Priest.” I loved them looking out the window at the world.
I loved Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett. She was so perfectly deadpan which was an entirely new approach to the character. Lines like, “Flies do too” and “shepherds pie peppered with actual shepherd on top...” were prize winning.
Johnny Depp... I have always thought that a sexy Sweeney Todd is a successful Sweeney Todd. When I did the show years ago, our Sweeney had so much sex appeal that it gave the audience that errie combination of being hot for the person and at the same time absolutely horrified by him. This makes it feasable to understand how Todd could get away with what he is doing. And ofcourse, it makes the movie all the more worth watching. Johnny Depp didn't have the most incredible voice but his presence and just the fact that he was DOING it was great. He is such a great performer. The look on his face when he first finds out what has happened to his wife is priceless. His “Epiphany” was goose bumpable and I also loved during the “By The Sea” song how dark he remained in contrast to Lovett's enthusiasm.
Alan Rickman as the Judge was good but I thought he was too good looking. I have always thought of the Judge as being creepy and disgusting and perverted... but still he was great. The Beadle was perfect. I have never seen TEETH act as well as they did in this role. Sasha Baron Cohen as Pirelli... perfect. I love the Pope line.
I did not like Tobias. I thought it was a good idea to portray him in the film as a young boy but I thought the actor was too smart and kind of boring. Johanna was perfect. Anthony was terrible. I got so sick of hearing him sing the Johanna song. And I thought it was kind of funny that after he got beaten up by the Beadle that he gets up and staggers into the street and singing again full out.
The throat slashing was excellent. I know that sounds gross, but it was SO over the top that it was deliciously awful. What I thought was worse was when they would slide down the chute and hit their heads on the stone floor below. OUCH! Again, it was SO awful it was funny which is the point of the musical... I mean, how great is it to get to ride so many emotions in one sitting.
I didn't like the ending when he... oh wait I don't want to give it away. Let's just say it was a bit tired. ALTHOUGH I loved it when he threw her in the... oh wait... damn. Can't say that either. Let's just say at that moment in the film her performance was on fire!!!!
So go and see it... it's a perfect adaptation of a musical to the screen. Because it is right up in your face, much of it is understated and underplayed and because it is so realized visually, the performers don't have to work so hard. It works. Yay! Sweeney Todd made into a successful movie!!!
More please.
Note: Photo by Peter Mountain/DreamWorks-Warner Brothers