Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

[DoH]

Really? I thought Helena Bonham Carter ruined the movie.

Sweeney and Lovett are supposed to be diametrically opposed; he's supposed to be all crazy and intense evil, and she's the calculating, funny evil. HBC misses this point completely and gives a soulless performance, forsaking comedic timing for her bulging overeyelined eyes. She's supposed to be funny and she's not. On top of that, she can't sing worth her salt which serves as a major blow to her character (not that Depp can sing either - Sweeney is not the lead singer of an alternative rock band, which is what I guess is what Depp is going for) because her voice is as weak and frail as her characterization. Because of their stylistic choices (which by their defenders have been hailed as an amazing "interpretation") they essentially boil Todd and Lovett down to the same character with different genders.

Tim Burton pissed on the legacy of Sondheim in an attempt to make it his own; I'm quite dubious about the reports that Sondheim had as much creative control over the project as they have indicated.

I found this in a review (which I found to be the most accurate)

Attend the failure "Sweeney Todd,"
Remark on casting perverse and odd:
Miss Bonham Carter and Johnny D,
Who ever so often sing in the wrong key.
But that's the path Tim Burton trod
In "Sweeney Todd:
The Demon Barber of Fleet Street."

 

[Xsyven]

I agree with everything you said, but I looked at it as a half-glass-full sort of perspective.



Also, that excerpt from the review is awesome... SING YOUR NOTES ON KEEEY, SWEENEY. HEAR HIM SINGING BAAAAD! Sing it in the ... rosy... tone... of righteousness....

So I sort of couldn't think of a good ending, but yeah.

 

[commonyoshi]

I found this to be the second best movie of the year. The singing was alright, but I dont watch musicals so my standards might not be as high as some of you. Johnny Depp did a good job, particularly in the song where he sings to his knives. Carter and the fat man were ok. I think Alan did a fine job even though I didn't like his song.

I only liked two or three of the songs anyway.

Everyone's acting was great. Incredible movie.

 

[DoH]

I can't believe this won best Musical at the Golden Globes. I mean they can't even sing!

Hairspray was robbed. ROBBEDDDDDDD

 

[ioc2much]

I can't believe this won best Musical at the Golden Globes. I mean they can't even sing!

Hairspray was robbed. ROBBEDDDDDDD

QFT

great movie, great musical =D

trouble is I'm supposed to be trying to get my lines down for another musical and I'm just singing this all the time =P

Sweeney could have had a deeper voice, and they cut my favorite part out of "A Little Priest," but I still like it =D

the general with or without his privates

 

[DoH]

If they put the humorous parts in 'A Little Priest', that might require Helena and Johnny to show emotion, which is impossible for those who are soulless.

 

[Xsyven]

Luckily, their soullessness made By The Sea, my least favorite song, actually funny. Who'da thunk?

 

[commonyoshi]

I actually liked how they portrayed their characters with a lack of emotion. The only ones Sweeney had were angry and angrier.