2008 Woodie Awards
Torch Online reviews: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Alex Quevedo, Staff Writer
Issue date: 12/6/07Section: Torch Online Exclusives
It is no secret to anyone: Tim Burton knows dark. Tim Burton is dark. The director has made quite a name for himself though the dark stories he tells, from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" to his latest, "Sweeney Todd." Burton has plenty of adaptations under his belt but has never tackled anything like this, as "Sweeney Todd" was originally a Broadway show. But unlike the travesty known as "Planet of the Apes," this adaptation works out incredibly well with the involvement of Stephen Sondheim and an incredible cast.
In the mid-19th century, Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) is leading a normal life as a barber with his beautiful wife Lucy and their daughter. But the insidious Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) has his eye on Lucy and has Barker thrown out of the country on false charges. He returns 15 years later as Sweeney Todd, on the hunt for revenge.
Aiding him on his way is Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), a widowed pie maker known for having the worst pies in London. Lovett has ideas of a romance with him but Todd is blinded and bent on revenge. As he slashes throats to achieve that revenge, Mrs. Lovett boosts her business by mixing in the human remains into her pies.
On the other side of things, a sailor named Anthony (Jamie Bower), who helped Todd get into town, falls in love with a girl named Johanna. However, she is being imprisoned by Turpin and his henchman Beadle Bumford.
Seeing Todd as a friend, he begs for his help and when Todd finds out who's holding her, he goes along with it.
Of the many things the film does well, the singing is where it shines brighter than most. Sondheim is not one to let anybody adapt his work on a whim. Although he was the title character, Depp was hired on before they heard his voice but gained full approval after the fact. Depp and Carter sound amazing together. They belt out Sondheim's lyrics beautifully and capture the emotion just right- and the humor too. Rickman has his turns and does well, as do Bower and a few others, but Depp and Carter are really the ones to shine. And of all the great numbers throughout the film, there may be nothing greater than Depp singing so powerfully to his blades.
In the mid-19th century, Benjamin Barker (Johnny Depp) is leading a normal life as a barber with his beautiful wife Lucy and their daughter. But the insidious Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman) has his eye on Lucy and has Barker thrown out of the country on false charges. He returns 15 years later as Sweeney Todd, on the hunt for revenge.
Aiding him on his way is Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), a widowed pie maker known for having the worst pies in London. Lovett has ideas of a romance with him but Todd is blinded and bent on revenge. As he slashes throats to achieve that revenge, Mrs. Lovett boosts her business by mixing in the human remains into her pies.
On the other side of things, a sailor named Anthony (Jamie Bower), who helped Todd get into town, falls in love with a girl named Johanna. However, she is being imprisoned by Turpin and his henchman Beadle Bumford.
Seeing Todd as a friend, he begs for his help and when Todd finds out who's holding her, he goes along with it.
Of the many things the film does well, the singing is where it shines brighter than most. Sondheim is not one to let anybody adapt his work on a whim. Although he was the title character, Depp was hired on before they heard his voice but gained full approval after the fact. Depp and Carter sound amazing together. They belt out Sondheim's lyrics beautifully and capture the emotion just right- and the humor too. Rickman has his turns and does well, as do Bower and a few others, but Depp and Carter are really the ones to shine. And of all the great numbers throughout the film, there may be nothing greater than Depp singing so powerfully to his blades.
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