Better Than I Expected

Rating: 9/10 (28 December 2007)

I went to see this movie with much trepidation. I am not a fan of Johnny Depp's but I am a HUGE fan of the musical. I saw it three times last year on Broadway with Micheal Cerveris and Patti LuPone. Needless to say, Johnny had very big shoes to fill. His acting was wonderful - as was the entire cast's - and the overall quality of the production - sets, direction etc. - was flawless. The singing in the movie was less than stellar but the music covered well for the end notes that neither Johnny nor Ms. Carter could carry.
Some of the songs were cut or trimmed from the original score but they were not horribly missed with the possible exception of "Kiss Me," which is important for establishing the relationship between Joanna and Anthony.
I especially loved the "Joanna" reprise sequence where Sweeney built his chair and they showed him offing many of his clients. Genius!
A truly delightful surprise!