Musical Macabre Mathem

Rating: 9/10 (28 January 2008)

If there is a musical more suited to the magical Tim Burton than Sweeney Todd I will be very surprised. This really is a match made in heaven, high octaves and oceans of blood shaken into a delightful Burton cocktail. I am not familiar with he source material so do not know how faithful the movie is, but the movie had the feeling of a stage show with only a few sets used ah but what beautiful Gothic sets they are lending the movie a cartoonish Gothic feel). The songs are well staged with Johnny Depp in particular benefiting from no singing lessons delivery his lines instead with a sense of menace and madness. Depp as ever delivers a stunning performance helped as usual by Burton's camera loving him as it does his Mrs the again excellent Helena Bonham Carter, who for me gives her best performance since fight club. In the end the whole cast is marvellous with great performances given from Alan Rickman and Timothy Spall ( as Judge Turpin and his slimy assistant Beedle Bamford) and a great cameo from Sacha Baron Coen as a rival barber. The basic premise of the movie is that Sweeney Todd returns to London from unnamed location where he has been wrongfully imprisoned seeking vengeance on the man who wrongfully imprisoned him Judge Turpin. The movie is stunningly shot with some real gore so if you do not like the sight of blood then steer clear. However if you can stomach the blood then there is so much to enjoy here. Dive in to a magical fairy tale and enjoy one of Burton's finest movies.