brilliance abounds

Rating: 10/10 (22 December 2007)

Having never been a huge fan of Tim Burton's past works with the exception of ED WOOD and BIG FISH. I have usually found his work empty of what makes a film interesting for me. They are always full of style but totally void of anything resembling substance. Needless to say I was very skeptical of his taking SWEENEY TODD to the big screen.Glad to say how wrong I was. The film is stupendous from every department. Production Design,Costume Design, Cinematography, all hitting their marks with horrific beauty. As for the people claiming that the singing voices were weak, they have no clue as to the concept of the brilliant Lyrics and Music of Stephan Sondheim.The score was always meant to be Spoken/sung adding to the darkness of the story.Any other way it would have been down right silly. As for Johnny Depp, never has he been better. For an actor to take a role of a serial killer and manage to have the audience understand and feel his pain is to be admired. His spirit has so been destroyed,his revenge seems justified.There is however one last final betrayal that makes what has preceded even the more tragic. A truly great achievement for all.