Movie Talks Archives

Posted by: BadCoverVersion at February 6, 2008, 5:22 pm

Topic: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Forum: JoBlo

My anticipation for this one was low bordering on non-existent...but I enjoyed it overall and thought the majority of the performances and set pieces were very good. The film captured the mood of foggy Victorian London town perfectly, and every character looked an absolute treat...from the yellow haired harpies of the insane asylum to the fey fop on the street. I hated the first 15 minutes or so, mainly because I could not 'connect' with the plodding music...it just seemed like a endless slew of repetitive rhyme for a short while, with no real structure...and little by way of an actual fully-formed SONG! I also seriously disliked the CGI heavy opening credits. I found the performances of the supporting players were the real highlight. Sacha Baron Cohen was a dapper delight, as was a sniveling Timothy Spall (as per usual) and the small boy playing Pirelli's assistant had a great voice and an even greater presence. A couple of the songs were stand-out...the ditty about Pirelli's Miracle Elixer and the song in which Mrs Lovett and Todd observe all the townsfolk they could make mincemeat of. Despite enjoying the latter tune, I found Depp's Bowie-esque warble incredibly weak at many points and Bonham Carter's voice just as weedy and unappealing...which SURPRISED me. Overall, there was a lot of great and a lot of grot to be found here. What was sadly lacking was the amount of GUTS and GORE one would expect from a film boasting a controversial 18 certificate! Don't get me wrong...the smattering on show was absolutely top notch...I just wanted more of the same and perhaps a little variation in Sweeney's technique. I really am surprised by the harsh grading...I understand murder and cannibalism are hardly family friendly themes, but it was more gothic caper than depraved gorefest. And not a flash of flesh or a naughty word to be found! I liked it, but seeing it in a cinema only cemented my suspicion that Johnny Depp is the most undeserving Oscar nominee since...well, um Johnny Depp! The fact that he continues to be nominated for what are little more than two-bit pantomime performances beggars belief. Anyway...it gets a generous 7/10 for me. I'm not overly fussed about re-watching it any time soon, but I'm pretty certain it's the type of flick that would only improve with repeat viewings and a familiarity with the source material.

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