After all, the musicals can be tragic

Rating: 9/10 (12 June 2016)

This film focuses on Sweeney Todd, a vengeful barber convicted for a crime he didn't commit. Directed by Tim Burton, this film has a screenplay by John Logan, based on the stage musical of the same name written by Hugh Wheeler. The cast is headed by Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman and Jayne Wisener, among other actors.
Tim Burton is a director about which I have many reservations. No one disputes his creativity, not their ability to create great movies. The problem is that he makes excellent films with the same ease that makes huge mistakes. So, I had few expectations when I went to see this film, and it still fell more when I saw it was going to be a musical. However, I was very pleased with what I saw, and I think Burton, this time, did a great job.
I don't know the original play, so I cannot tell if the script was true to the original story but I think it's a good script, doesn't make mistakes or leaves important questions unanswered, besides having interesting twists and an excellent finish. The actors were excellent, particularly Depp, who knew how to combine his taste for bizarre roles to a strong and deep voice. Helena Bonham Carter also shone, in an obscure character whose obsessive love leads to a journey to doom. This macabre couple really managed to give life to this film, turning it into a mix of horror and musical movie, which thickens as the plot goes to the end. Its a film that proves without doubt that the musicals doesn't need to be romantic and very cuddly, since the musicals can be seen as a scenic (and cinematic) variant of the opera, a so popular and dramatic spectacle in the past.
The sets, costumes and visual effects are excellent. We are talking about Burton, so it couldn't be otherwise. Its a fairly graphic film to some extent, with several liters of arterial blood and scenes that may shock more sensitive people. The soundtrack is the responsibility of Stephen Sondheim (author of the original musics and lyrics) and is excellent, remaining in our memory for a long time.