You're Making a Musical, what's Not Theatrical?

Rating: 5/10 (25 February 2008)

For anybody that knows me, they know that I am a musical theatre geek, and they also know I love Sondheim and this musical in particular, so I was bit miffed when I finally saw this.
Certainly the cinematography was top notch in capturing the dark side of London, as only Mr. Burton can do, and I was dazzled by the camera movements, sets and costumes. I had my reservations with the casting of Johnny Depp for sure, but he surprised me and pulled off the title role wonderfully. The same can be said for Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Sacha Baron Cohen and Jayne Wisener, who was a perfect Johanna. The number "By the Sea" was probably the best number of the whole movie. Cinematically it was brilliant, and the sullenness of Sweeney coupled with the buoyancy of Mrs. Lovett and Toby made the song a delight to watch. Although the brightness did make my eyes wince a little from the almost total blackness from the first hour and half of the movie.
However that's about where my positives end. Jamie Campbell Bower, who played Anthony, and while a good performer, he had a very effeminate air about him. I mean he looked like a girl with that hair (what is with these movie musicals and the girl hair on the male love interests (Roger in Rent, Raul in Phantom)?), and he sounded like a low alto. The kid who played Toby, while awesome, I thought was too young. It made Pirelli's abuse just sad instead of funny like it should have been (see more about lack of humor below). My biggest casting complaint was definitely with Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Lovett. For one thing she talk-sang the entire part, which I could have forgiven had she acted the hell out of the character, but she didn't. Instead all I got was this very tired woman who watched everything happen bemusedly. The whole movie I wanted to go in there and slap her, or give her a Redbull. Anything to wake her up. A completely nepotist miss-cast. I would have loved to have seen what Toni Collette could have done with the role.
Casting issues aside, my biggest complaint was the lack of ensemble. I mean he took out the opening song which sets the mood, and is the freaking' title of the musical. How could you not include "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" in Sweeney Todd? I read that Burton was originally going to have a chorus of ghosts fill the role of ensemble, but it was too theatrical so he dropped it. Too theatrical? You're doing a freaking' musical, what's not theatrical?! The lack of ensemble also made certain songs either lose their luster (like in Pirelli's Miracle Elixer) or questioned the entire point of why it was there (God, That's Good). On that last one, I especially questioned why it was there since half the song, the bit about Sweeney worrying over his new chair, was depicted already. I later heard that Depp and Carter tried to really focus on the music but Burton told them to stop it because it sounds too Broadway. Refer to my above mentioned comment on theatrics. I swear, if Tim Burton hates musicals and all their conventions, why didn't he just do away with the music all together? Get a Danny Elfman score if it'll make him feel better.
The other main beef I had was the fact that Burton took virtually all the humor out and made it darker than it had to be. I mean the show is essentially a black comedy, but all the funny lines were either taken out or made in such a way that it wasn't funny, such as the above mentioned abuse of Toby by Pirelli. The number "A Little Priest," could have been a lot better had they not just looked out a window the whole time pointing at what they were singing about. It's supposed to be their version of foreplay that they delight in, but the direction coupled with half the song cut, the comedic genius of the number was wasted.
Despite all that I said above, I didn't hate the movie. It's just my musical bias. I probably will buy the DVD when it comes out and I already have the soundtrack. The thing is, like I said before, I'm a musical theatre geek so I notice these types of things. My brother, who is certainly not a MT geek, absolutely loved it and apparently the awards deciding public loved it enough to nominate it for top awards already. It's not bad, I was just disappointed with some (most) of Burton's decisions that's all.