Brilliantly horrific masterpiece of film

Rating: 9/10 (25 June 2008)

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp collaborate yet again for a ghoulish masterpiece of entertaining film-making that dazzles and disturbs right from the get-go.
It's Victorian London and Depp is Benjamin Barker, a barber from the city wrongly exiled from England on a prison ship after the callous Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) takes a fancy to his wife. Returning to London after fifteen years, Barker adopts the name Sweeney Todd. With the aid of Mrs Lovett (Helena Bonham-Carter), a beastly pie-maker, and his cut-throat razors, Todd embarks on a murderous, bloody rampage of revenge...
Fantastic cinematography that uses subtle shades of black and white and muted colours really adds an edge and creepy atmosphere to proceedings. It contrasts well with the literally buckets of red blood that come pouring forth from the throats of Todd's hapless victims.
The script, based on Stephen Sondheim's famous musical, has been adapted flawlessly for the film. There is some well-written characterisation with enough twists and turns apt for this kind of melodrama, and the well-performed songs possess enough wit and tragic irony to be effective.
Despite sporting the same accent he used for Captain Jack Sparrow in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" series, Depp nicely avoids comparisons with his signature role. He makes Todd dangerous yet sympathetic and we feel for him throughout, despite the fact he's basically a serial killer. Helena Bonham-Carter, Burton's wife, is also excellent as pie-maker Mrs Lovett who has a grisly secret of her own. Her ultimate fate is terrifying, but there is little doubt she has it coming. Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin and Timothy Spall as his henchman both turn in fine performances. It's nothing we haven't seen from either of them before, but they're still good. Sacha Baron-Cohen, of "Borat" fame, has a fine cameo as a rival barber and Jayne Wisener is pretty and enchanting as Todd's long-lost daughter Johanna. There's a girl who's going places.
A brilliant and lush Gothic treat, and an absolute must for Tim Burton fans.