Breath taking, dark, disturbing and absolutely brilliant

Rating: 9/10 (30 January 2008)

For all of Tim Burton's reputation Sweeney Todd would seem to be a given that he would be brilliant at doing and there is no doubt that Burton easily made this his own. Everything about Sweeney Todd is just brilliantly put together from the outstanding cast who aren't your typical stage singers, to the dark and gritty London, to the gruesome and completely gratuitous murders that Sweeney Todd hinges on. Its visually stunning, beautiful haunting music and a story that locks you into every moment. Burton holds nothing back from his dark side as he creates the ultimate in dark musicals. I admit I am a big musical fan but I think that's only because the ones I have seen, especially in 2007 and now this one, have been truly great. Sweeney Todd is unlike any other musical you will ever see. You can't really 'pick' a favorite song because the entire film nearly is sang...they run together and tell a story and yet has this incredible musical score that sticks with you. Its jaw dropping and shocking and all set to music. It could be described as a horror, a drama, a thriller, and a musical all into one. I have never seen Sweeney Todd on stage but this has to be the next best thing because Burton has created a masterpiece.
Johnny Depp once again shows his incredible versatile talent as the emotionally deranged and wrongfully imprisoned Sweeney Todd who returns to London to exact revenge on those who wronged him. Depp is absolutely perfect and probably well deserving of an Oscar for this role. The thing is...he isn't a singer...as is the case with a lot of the cast but his performance is brilliant and no less astounding. He IS Sweeney Todd in every sense of the word and by no means he is a hero and yet you can't help but feel empathy and share his rage. Helena Bonham Carter is deliciously twisted and the eerie sidekick to Depp's Todd. Mrs. Lovett is just outright deranged and her and Depp have incredible chemistry and make an evil pairing right up there with Bonnie and Clyde. Her misplaced affections for Todd make for a twisted romance. Alan Rickman, as always, makes an incredible villain for Todd as the Judge who locked him away, killed his wife and took his daughter. Rickman hardly sings...in fact I thought he might be the only one who doesn't but he does eventually sing a song or two and he is the perfect addition to this cast. Timothy Spall also does an incredible job as Rickman's sleazy little sidekick. Jamie Campbell Bower is the pure balance to this deranged cast as the love sick sailor who wishes to save Johanna (Todd's daughter) from Rickman's grasp. He is good but doesn't stand out compared to the other performances. Honorable mention must be given to Ed Sanders in his premier performance as the young Toby who gives an earth moving performance and has this incredibly unique and strong singing voice. He is amazing and should have gotten a supporting actor nod for his small but significant role. Also a kudos to a cameo role by Sacha Baron Cohen as the conceited Barber on the road show. One of the best scenes in the film that you must see is the 'shave-off' between Depp's Sweeney Todd and Cohen's Signor Adolfo Pirelli.
The gratuitous death scenes and blood spurting doesn't begin right away. In fact Burton and Depp do an incredible job at giving Todd this character arc that has him struggling with vengeance and sanity and dealing with Mrs. Lovett and her strange infatuation. You could watch Sweeney Todd again and again to see the incredible world that Burton creates. Whether its realistic or whether its the dirty, disgusting underbelly that Todd creates in his mind...its truly stunning on the big screen. Even if you're not a fan of musicals you can hardly take your eyes off Depp, and Carter, and Rickman and all the rest of the cast and everything going on. When the blood starts to flow there is no holds barred in some of the most disturbing and gruesome kills I have ever seen. And yet all this is done with some sort of grain of dark comedy which I believe only Burton could pull off. Slitting throats, dropping them violently onto the cement floor and clean up for the next one could only seem somehow darkly entertaining in a Tim Burton film. Regardless you must see this amazing film. 9/10