The Closest of Shaves...

Rating: Null/10 (2 June 2008)

This Tim Burton adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical is filled with the dark and twisted visions we have come to expect from the director, and this musical/horror is a rare example of the two genres working well together, largely because of a range of eccentric characters effectively interpreted by a highly competent cast.
Johnny Depp leads the way as Benjamin Barker, once a barber with a young family but now transformed into the brooding madman Todd by false imprisonment imposed on him by the reptilian Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) so that he can get his hands on Barker's beautiful wife. As Helen Bonham-Carter's Mrs Lovett observes, the years ain't been kind to Barker and he is consumed by a rage against Turpin that, when frustrated in his attempted murder of the judge, he diverts toward any hapless soul who happens to sit in his chair. Rounding out the cast are Sacha Baron Cohen as a fake Italian barber who becomes Todd's first victim, Timothy Spall as Turpin's wonderfully odious sidekick, and a rather bland Jamie Campbell-Bower as Anthony, the young sailor who falls for Todd's daughter.
Most of the dialogue is sung by the actors, and none of them appear to have voice doubles judging by some of the vocal performances, but this somehow manages to strengthen the technique rather than weaken it. The tunes, for the most part, aren't exactly tuneful anyway but the sometimes lacklustre stretches are counter-pointed by some wonderful flourishes from Burton. Depp, having just about mastered the English accent, gives a towering performance. He is the film and, too a large degree, whether it stands or falls rests squarely on his shoulders. Depp is versatile enough to carry it off with aplomb, however, and develops a nice twisted chemistry with Bonham-Carter. The pair play well off of each other and the perverse family unit they form with young tearaway Toby (Ed Sanders) serves to emphasise where Todd's and Lovett's ambitions part company.
It has to be said that this film may prove to be something of an acquired taste. Musicals like this spend much of their time allowing characters to express feelings that couldn't be verbally expressed in a more straightforward narrative without losing credibility. Although I enjoyed it well enough while watching, I'm not sure I'd be particularly inclined to watch it again.