Attend the tale of a masterpiece...

Rating: 10/10 (31 July 2011)

One of my all time favourite films! Tim Burton at his best. A true piece of artwork. Stunning visuals, an entertaining and painfully tragic plot, musical brilliance by Steven Sonheim and extraordinary performances from the entire cast!
Tim Burton has always made visually stunning films, but with this one, he's really outdone himself. What I love about his films is that he never tries to please Hollywood with his movies like a lot of other directors do.
The film, set in the mid 1800's of dark and depressing London, leads us through the eyes of the tragically corrupted Benjamen Barker. Torn away from his beautiful wife and baby girl for crime he did not commit by the malicious Judge Turpin, is sent away, and after 15 years in exile, he escaped with the help of a young and naive sailor 'Antony', hell bent on revenge against Turpin. When he is reunited with his old neighbour, the comical yet delicate Mrs Lovett, a baker who use cats as the meat for her infamous pies, the two come up with a maliciously sinister plan, leading to many consequences...
A tragically sad twist at the ending, which made the dark story all the more sinister. Sad movie, but with some black comedy elements, especially in the famous song 'Little Priest'.
Spectacular performance from everyone, but particularly out two leading characters; Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp)and Helena Bonham Carter (Mrs. Lovett). Johnny played Sweeney Todd to perfection, making him sinisterly dark, but although he's playing a bad guy, he makes you feel very sympathetic towards him, brilliant. In my opinion, he should of won the Oscar for best actor that year at the Oscars. It came as a surprise to me that Helena wasn't even nominated for an Oscar for this amazing portrayal. Playing a gentler, subtler Mrs Lovett, one of the best portrayals of this character I've ever seen! The unrequited love story between Mrs.Lovett and Sweeney was so heartbreaking to watch, even more heart breaking than the plot itself at times, I thought Helena played it beautifully! Also with the help from a fantastic supporting cast; Alan Rickman (Judge Turpin), Timothy Spall (The Beadle), Ed Sanders (Toby), Jamie Campbell Bower (Antony) and Jane Winser (Johanna).
Stunning set designs, and surprisingly fantastic vocals from the entire cast, also something that doesn't get mentioned a lot, is the interestingly designed costumes, bravo to Coleen Atwood! And of course the breath taking directing by genius Tim Burton, a film that will have you on the edge of your seat, but at times watching it through your fingers!
Highly recommended! Musical Horror at it's best!